


The Monsters' Mask

by Arionrhod, McKay



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dubious Consent, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 07:47:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11009064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arionrhod/pseuds/Arionrhod, https://archiveofourown.org/users/McKay/pseuds/McKay
Summary: While investigating a series of murders, Severus and Remus unearth startling new information about each other as well. Set during the summer after GoF.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written in 2009. Written for the lupin-snape community's Retro Fest using prompt #1: Severus is a vampire- that's why he doesn't get on with Remus in PoA. When they're stuck together for an Order mission, their natures-and emotions-start sparking.

The sticky-sweet smell of sherbet lemons wafted under Severus' nose, making him feel vaguely ill, but it was either suffer the odor of Dumbledore's sweets or be driven mad by the wild, rich, and intoxicating scent of the werewolf sitting beside him. _That_ scent invariably left him aroused if he remained near Lupin too long, which meant the sweets were the safer option, since he didn't want to be aroused by that damned annoying weak-willed rug's scent - or anything else about Lupin, for that matter. He knew it was simply a side-effect of their respective natures, _not_ a sign of latent attraction or some such nonsense. No doubt, he would have reacted the same way to any werewolf, perhaps even that sociopathic mongrel, Greyback, he thought with a repressed shudder. 

"Thank you both for coming," Dumbledore said pleasantly, drawing Severus out of his reverie and making him focus on the task at hand. "I apologize for summoning you on such short notice, but I've received some rather disturbing news. I fear it may be the work of some of Voldemort's more enthusiastic followers," he added, the twinkle disappearing from his eyes as he spoke. 

Severus sat up straighter in his chair and absently rubbed his left forearm. He'd known the Dark Lord was dormant, not dead, but still, feeling the Dark Mark flare to life anew after so many years of quiescence had been disconcerting, to say the least. He was back on active duty, which explained why Dumbledore had summoned _him_ , but it didn't explain Lupin's presence.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice flat.

Lupin, for his part, frowned and leaned forward, his focus all on Dumbledore. He hadn't so much as glanced at Severus since entering the room, and he didn't even bother to do so now. "It's not near Harry, I assume, or you'd have brought him here by now?" His voice was low and fraught with apparent concern.

"No, Harry is safe." Dumbledore smiled, although there was little mirth in it. "As safe as he can be, under the circumstances. The reported activity has been in a far more remote area in a little village called Sneeming Minor. Perhaps you've heard of it? The residents are a blend of wizards and Muggles, hence the low population. Unfortunately, their numbers have dwindled further."

Lupin had relaxed at Dumbledore's assurances about Potter, but then he tensed again at his mention of the location. "My mother's family was from there," he replied. Severus could see that Lupin had gripped the arms of his chair so hard that his knuckles were white. "My grandparents died years ago, but I spent a few summers there as a child."

"Your familiarity with the area will be an asset to the mission," Dumbledore replied, nodding as if satisfied. 

"What mission?" Severus demanded, scowling. It was looking more and more like he was going to be sent off with the damned wolf, which did not bode well at all. It had been about a year since Severus had outed Lupin and essentially forced him to resign from Hogwarts, but it didn't appear Lupin had thawed toward him in the least. Not that Severus cared. He was no more eager for them to be thrown together than Lupin appeared to be. 

"To investigate the murders of three residents of Sneeming Minor and determine whether they were committed by Death Eaters," Dumbledore replied evenly. 

"What evidence is there to link it to Death Eaters?" Lupin asked. He didn't look in Severus' direction, but his lips tightened. "I thought you had inside information on such things?"

"The Dark Mark has been seen twice," Dumbledore replied, lacing his fingers together as he peered somberly at them over his half-moon glasses. "But the Ministry are dismissing the possibility, as they did with the incident at the Quidditch World Cup last summer." 

"So they still refuse to accept the evidence," Severus growled, clenching his fists in impotent frustration at the blindness of their so-called leaders. 

"They do, which is why we must present them with irrefutable proof." Dumbledore fixed them with a stern gaze. "Severus, you have valuable knowledge and insight regarding Death Eater activity-" 

Severus snorted derisively at the understatement, but Dumbledore continued as if he hadn't heard. 

"-and Remus, you are familiar with the area and have skills that could be of use during the investigation. I expect both of you to put aside your differences and work together for the greater good."

Lupin's chin came up, and the line of his jaw hardened, although his expression didn't change otherwise. "Are you certain it will require both of us? You had sent Sirius to my house to hide, so that will leave him unprotected."

Severus shot a disdainful sneer in Lupin's direction. Of _course_ Lupin would be worried about that damned nuisance, Black. Lupin's old, dear friend, and if the way they had greeted each other was any measure, perhaps Lupin's lover as well. 

"I will make certain Sirius remains safe," Dumbledore assured him. "You needn't worry about that."

If Lupin saw the sneer, he didn't give any sign. Instead he sat back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap, his face a mask of polite detachment that covered whatever his true feelings were on the subject. "Very well. When do you want the investigation to begin?"

"As soon as possible." Dumbledore opened a drawer and produced two sealed scrolls, and he levitated one across the desk to each of them. "You will find more information in those documents. I have provided everything I know on the matter. I am relying on you to find what we need to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Death Eaters are rallying behind their master once more, and these deaths are merely the first wave of a greater threat to come." 

Severus snatched his scroll out of the air and stuffed it in his pocket. "I can be ready to go tomorrow." 

"Ah, about that..." Dumbledore gave him an almost apologetic look. "It might take you a little more time to prepare, Severus. There are those in the village who may recognize you, either from the unpleasant coverage in the newspaper after the First War or from your tenure here at Hogwarts. You will need to assume a disguise if you wish the villagers to cooperate with your investigation."

Lupin took his scroll as well, tucking it away in a pocket of his patched robes. "If you will inform me when things are ready, Headmaster, I can Apparate directly from home. Is there anything else you need for me to prepare or bring?"

"You may want to alter your appearance as well," Dumbledore replied, "but other than that, I merely need you both to read the information I have provided and be prepared to conduct a thorough investigation." 

"I will if _he_ does not get in my way," Severus retorted as he rose to his feet. He wasn't thrilled about being thrown together with Lupin or about being forced to adopt a disguise, and the sooner they got this investigation over with, the better. 

"I'll take care of making certain no one recognizes me," Lupin said. He rose to his feet as well, nodding to Dumbledore and seeming to ignore Severus completely. "I'll read what you gave me as soon as I get home, so I'll be ready when you call." He nodded a farewell at the Headmaster, then turned and headed toward the door without acknowledging Severus at all.

Severs glared at the werewolf's retreating back, furious at having been ignored, but he wasn't about to give Lupin the satisfaction of calling him back or demanding Lupin's acknowledgment. Instead, he turned back to Dumbledore. 

"If there's nothing else?" he asked icily, and Dumbledore sighed wearily. 

"No, there is nothing else." Dumbledore paused, and then he added with dry irony, "Good luck." 

Severus didn't bother answering before he whirled and swept out of the room, his robes billowing in his wake.


	2. Chapter 2

Remus looked around at the tiny room that the proprietor of the bed and breakfast had led them to with dismay, wondering how in the hell he was supposed to occupy such minuscule quarters with someone who hated him. Especially when that someone had a notoriously volatile temper and the magical ability to back it up. And even more especially when he had been attracted to that someone for decades but was now angry at him and trying not to show it. Given the circumstances, he was beginning to think that sleeping in the woods might be a more palatable option, even with bloodthirsty Death Eaters running around looking for Muggles and Muggleborns to slaughter.

Not to mention the fact that somewhere in those woods was where Fenrir Greyback had found the five year old Remus and bitten him, cursing his life forever.

The only redeeming thing was that the room, small as it was, had two narrow beds with at least a foot of space separating them, so there was one rather obvious problem solved. Less obvious was the problem of how to handle an investigation with a partner who not only loathed him, but also resented his presence. Even as angry as Remus was about Severus outing him as a werewolf and costing him his position at Hogwarts, he didn't exactly resent Severus being on this mission; it made sense to use the best people for the job, and obviously Albus wouldn't have asked if he hadn't thought they were the best. 

He'd still not said anything directly to Severus, but then again, he'd barely had to speak at all since arriving. When they'd entered the old-fashioned B&B and had learned there was only one available room, Severus had burst into invective that was not only creative, but had the distinction of being non-repetitive as well. Remus hadn't realized there were so many ways to belittle someone, and he found himself thinking that holding his tongue and sparing himself having Severus' vitriol flung in his direction was probably the wisest course.

He was going to have to speak sooner or later, and so he turned toward Severus, fixing his gaze at a point just over Severus' left shoulder. "Which bed do you want?" he asked, his tone neutral and his face expressionless. He'd spent most of his time since leaving Dumbledore's office preparing his mental armor against Severus' hatred; he only hoped it would hold for the duration of the mission so that they didn't end up hexing each other in the way Severus and James had used to do.

"I'll take this one," Severus said, placing his carpet bag on the bed farthest away from the window, and he began to unpack without another word or look at Remus. 

Remus had been aware that Severus' appearance had changed, but he didn't notice the full impact of it until now. Severus' hair was short, and he'd either grown or magically applied a neatly trimmed beard that was even shorter. He was dressed in Muggle clothing, which Remus couldn't ever recall seeing him wear before, but he didn't let himself stare longer than it took to register jeans, a button-down shirt, and a grey sweater. The most stunning difference, however, was that he'd changed his eyes from dark to blue, and with his coloration, it was almost startling. 

Unlike most people, Remus had never thought Severus unattractive, not even when they'd been children at Hogwarts. In fact, there had been something about the dark haired, scowling boy that had drawn him, made him want to be close to Severus whenever he could. When he was old enough to analyze the strange attraction, he'd realized that Severus smelled different from everyone else, a subtle but distinct difference to his lupine senses. Some people smelled good, but Severus smelled wonderful, especially during the time of the month just prior to Remus' transformation. Something about the way Severus smelled was definitely enticing, at least when it wasn't covered by the scent of potions ingredients to which Remus was allergic.

The attraction Remus had always felt was, he knew, also something that the wolf within him felt, and he sensed a vague stirring of curiosity at the new changes in Severus' appearance mixed with something that wasn't exactly approval in that buried part of himself. For some reason he was always more aware of that alien part of himself when Severus was around, and he'd decided a long time ago that since the curse was Dark Magic and Severus seemed adept in that field, his wolf could sense Severus in a way it couldn't sense anyone else. Not that it was a comforting thought, given Severus' antipathy toward him; perhaps it was even just a survival mechanism, one predator recognizing another as a form of self-defense.

He picked up his own small valise and put it on the other bed, removing the few possessions within it and waiting until Severus wasn't standing in front of the dresser to bend and place his things in the bottom drawer. Like Severus, he'd chosen to dress Muggle style for the duration, and he had a couple of pair of well worn jeans that he'd had since he was a teenager. They still fit, since he'd not gained any weight since that time, and a few discreet mending charms had patched up the more threadbare parts. He also had various plain shirts and a jumper, and a much abused and beloved leather bomber jacket for the chill of the evenings. Even though it was heading into summer now, they were far enough north and up in the foothills, so the evenings could be downright chilly even in July.

The other changes he'd made to his appearance were more subtle than Severus'; he'd used a color charm to hide the grey and tied his long hair back into a ponytail, and had with some bit of pain begun wearing an earring again. He'd gotten his right ear pierced not long after leaving Hogwarts as part of a lost bet to James about something he couldn't even remember now, but he'd stopped wearing it after James and Lily had been killed. It had been too painful of an association.

Done with his unpacking, Remus stowed his valise under his bed and pulled out the scroll Dumbledore had given him. "Where should we start?" he asked, not looking directly at Severus.

"Either investigating the murder sites or seeing if we can gain access to the most recent victim," Severus replied tersely as he too stowed his bag under the bed. He retrieved his copy of the scroll and tapped it against his palm. "Do you have a preference?" he asked, a hint of challenge in his voice, as if he wasn't merely asking Remus' opinion but forcing communication as well.

"If the most recent victim hasn't been buried yet, no doubt they soon will be, so checking them sooner as opposed to later seems the most logical course," Remus said, his tone still carefully neutral. "I suspect since this is such a small village, the proprietor will know if they've had the funeral yet, and where the victim would be if not."

"Then we shall begin with the victim," Severus replied, tucking away his scroll and reaching for a long black coat he'd left draped over a nearby chair. "I assume you brought the identification Dumbledore provided. Do try to remember to call me Stephan Prince while we are here so you don't ruin our cover."

Severus' words were obviously meant to be cutting and to get a reaction, and while Remus felt the irritation Severus had intended, he didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing it. His expression was a bland mask as he moved toward the door. "My cover name is John Garon," he supplied with exquisite politeness, then opened the door and stepped out into the hall, waiting for Severus to follow. So long as he didn't rise to Severus' baiting, no matter how bad it got, they just might make it through this mission without killing each other - although Sirius had helpfully offered to hide the body if Remus snapped and did Severus in.

Severus shrugged into his coat as he strode across the room and out the door, his long legs eating up the distance and his booted heels ringing on the floorboards. The coat billowed dramatically behind him - of course. 

"Why don't you see if you can put your alleged people skills to use, _Garon_?" Severus suggested as they headed downstairs. "I doubt the useless lump who checked us in will be inclined to be cooperative with me." His features twisted in a scowl that was familiar despite his disguise. "Dumbledore should have warned us there wasn't a proper inn here."

The way Severus' coat billowed reminded Remus of his black robes; trust Severus to find a Muggle substitute that would make him still looking as intimidating - and sexy - as hell. The time they had been apart since Remus had been forced to resign his position at Hogwarts had done nothing to lessen his anger toward Severus, nor had it had any effect on the desire he felt. He _shouldn't_ be attracted to the bastard, not after everything he'd done. For Merlin's sake, Severus had expressed a desire for Remus to be Kissed by a Dementor. If he could possibly still have feelings for the man after that, no doubt he was out of his mind.

With that uncomfortable thought in his mind, Remus approached the small desk where the young man who'd born the brunt of Severus' ire a hour ago sat, eying their approach with something very like dread on his face. Remus smiled, hoping to put him at ease and very glad that he, personally, hadn't lambasted the youngster to within an inch of his life. Good thing the boy appeared to be Muggle; no one who'd ever been ripped up by Severus on a tear would be likely to forget the Potions Master of Hogwarts velvet-over-steel voice, nor his distinctive turn of phrase. 

"Hello again. I - we - were hoping you could provide us with a bit of information," Remus said smoothly, his smile slipping into the one he'd used to calm nervous first years. It had been very effective with Harry and Neville, too, and this boy rather reminded him of an older Neville.

"Wha... what information?" the boy asked, pushing a lock of brown hair away from his face in a decidedly nervous gesture. His eyes flashed to Severus quickly before returning to Remus, and Remus gave it a fifty-fifty chance that the boy might bolt if Severus said "boo" to him. 

"We're here from the Ministry on a special investigation," Remus said, pulling out his identification packet and holding it up. He was relieved when the boy nodded in understanding; he must have had enough exposure to Wizarding society to recognize what the Ministry of Magic was, at least. "There have been some... peculiar deaths around here as of late. We've come to make certain that no further deaths occur. That being said, what we need to do is see the body of the last victim, if possible; do you know if the funeral has been held yet?"

"No... I mean no, the funeral isn't until the day after tomorrow," the boy replied, biting his lip and looking both sad and anxious. "Dorothy was found yesterday morning, so there wasn't time to make all the arrangements yet."

Remus' eyes widened at that news. If there had been a murder yesterday, or even the night before, that meant that the number of deaths they were facing was now up to four. He didn't do more than nod gravely, however, not wanting to let on that they hadn't known about the latest incident. Instead he pulled a small pad of paper and a pen from his pocket. "Can you please give us the address where we might be able to see the body?"

Beside him, Severus folded his arms and glared at the young man as if expecting him to get it wrong somehow, and being the focus of Severus' disdain made the young man stutter his way through giving the address.

"I trust you'll cooperate if we require further information," Severus said, making it clear he was not asking a question and even if he were, the answer had better not be 'no'. 

Fortunately for all of them, the young man swallowed hard and nodded.

Remus copied down the information in a neat hand, then returned the pad and pen to his jacket pocket and smiled at the young man. "Thank you. You've been very helpful. We'll be back in a while." 

With that, he turned toward the foyer, planning to head for the address at once. It was interesting to be playing good-cop-bad-cop with Severus and rather effective as well. He was just glad that he was the one who was the good cop.

Severus kept up with him easily enough as they exited the building and made their way down the street. "I assume you know where you're going," Severus said after a few minutes, his tone laden with the implication that he wasn't confident in his assumption. 

"Yes, I do," Remus replied evenly. "I'm not relying on childhood memories alone, either; I studied a map of the village before we came." Severus seemed determined to get a rise out of him, and he was equally determined not to give it to him. Perhaps in a way, he was being just as juvenile as Severus was, but the alternative was to have a row in the middle of the street, and that would hardly be beneficial to the investigation or their credibility with the villagers.

They continued toward their destination, mounting the steps to what appeared to be a Healer's residence, if the caduceus by the house number was anything to go by. He raised a brow at Severus. "Do you want to take this, or should I?"

"By all means, go ahead," Severus replied with poisonous courtesy. "I think we both know Dumbledore sent you with me because you're supposedly good with people. No doubt because you lie down and let them walk all over you."

Remus' jaw tightened for a fraction of a second, but he held his tongue. It was as though Severus _wanted_ to fight, and Remus wasn't about to give him that satisfaction. "You are above all a courteous gentleperson, skilled in the performance of your duties," he replied, then lifted his hand and knocked on the door loudly.

Even if Severus wanted to bristle and fuss over Remus' response, he didn't have time to do so before a woman opened the door; she was dressed in the lime-green robes that denoted a Healer, and she regarded them both with benign curiosity. 

"May I help you?" she asked. 

"I hope so," Remus said, pulling out his most charming smile. "I'm Inspector Garon, and this is Inspector Prince. We're here investigating the unusual deaths which have occurred recently." His smile faded, and he looked appropriately solemn for such a serious duty. "We're staying at the bed and breakfast, and the young man at the desk directed us here. We would like, if it is at all possible, to see the body of the latest victim to determine if we can ascertain anything unusual or sinister about her death."

"I'll need to see some identification," she replied briskly, and when they both produced the fabricated documentation Dumbledore had provided, she nodded, seeming satisfied. "This way, please. I was just finishing up my own report. I can provide a copy if you would like one." 

"Yes, we would," Severus said as they followed her into a plain, sterile-looking examination room.

In the center of the small room was a gurney on which lay the body of a middle-aged woman, covered up to her shoulders in a white sheet. The Healer went to stand beside the gurney and regarded the victim with sad sympathy before looking up at the two of them again. 

"Dorothy Mullens, aged forty-three," she said matter-of-factly. "Cause of death: the Killing Curse."

Remus regarded the dead woman's body with pity, feeling a superstitious sense of dread as he looked at her. She was only a few years older than he and Severus, after all, and for no reason at all, she had been murdered, stripped of her life and all the joys it might have held in store. He pulled out his pad again, flipping to a new pages and taking note of what the Healer had said. "You're certain it's the Killing Curse? No sign of anything like a heart attack, stroke, or embolism? Was she in good health otherwise?"

"There's nothing else it could have been," the Healer replied. "I ran all the usual diagnostic charms. Her heart, lungs, and brain were all perfectly healthy. _She_ was perfectly healthy, and there was no outward sign of violence that could account for her death. By all right, she should be alive, and yet..." She gestured to the woman's body. "In the absence of any other cause of death, there is only one other possibility." 

Meanwhile, Severus had moved closer to the gurney and appeared to be studying the woman with a frown that spoke of concentration rather than displeasure for once. If Remus' eyes weren't playing tricks on him, he thought he saw Severus bending over and _sniffing_ her.

To distract the Healer from Severus' actions, Remus gestured to the body. "I take it you also looked for signs of poison or asphyxiation? Those often leave no outward sign, and only chemical analysis will reveal them." He smiled to soothe any potentially ruffled feathers. "This is not meant as a criticism of you; we just need to be thorough, and these are the questions we have to ask."

"Of course." She smiled, not seeming to take offense by the questioning. "The tests for poison were negative, and there are no signs, internal or external, of asphyxiation. Believe me, I looked for everything I could think of. I'd rather it be anything other than the Killing Curse and what that implies," she added with a shudder.

"It is definitely better that it be something else," Remus agreed. He pulled out a sheet from his pad, wrote his pseudonym on it and their room number at the bed and breakfast. "When you finish your report, would you send a copy to us there? We'll include it with our daily report. You've been most helpful."

The Healer accepted the paper and tucked it into her pocket. "I have an appointment with a patient in a few minutes, but if there's anything else you need, I'll be in the building. I'll have a copy of the report to you no later than this evening." 

With that, she turned and walked out of the room, and Severus watched her go, waiting until she was out of earshot to speak. 

"There's something odd going on here," he announced without preamble.

"Oh?" Remus wasn't certain whether he were relieved or disappointed to hear that bit of news. Of course, he'd rather it be anything but the Killing Curse and all that it implied, but having a genuine mystery on their hands might be even more dangerous... and he wasn't merely thinking of the victims. He put a finger to his lips, then pulled his wand and cast a privacy spell around them, so that if the Healer returned or someone else wandered by, they wouldn't be able to hear. "What is it?"

"You lot are meant to have such a keen sense of smell. Why don't you tell me?" Severus retorted, bracing his fists on his hips and issuing an unspoken challenge with his tone and expression.

Remus didn't argue; he merely leaned closer to the body, closing his eyes and inhaling, analyzing the woman's scent. He straightened with a frown, wondering if he could possibly be correct in what he thought he detected. Reaching out, he lifted one of the woman's arms, turning it over and finding the back as pale as the front.

"No lividity - no blood," he said hollowly. "Is that what you were getting at? Someone or something has drained all her blood... and why in the hell didn't the Healer notice _that_?"

"An excellent question," Severus replied grimly. "The Healer said there were no external signs of violence, but if she missed such a big thing as this, she might have overlooked something else. We need to examine the body ourselves."

Remus looked at the door, then moved and closed it quietly. "All right, then, go ahead and start. I'll stand guard. I suspect you have more experience with this sort of thing than I do anyway." He wasn't squeamish about touching the woman, but Severus was definitely more experienced with those kind of analytical spells, since they were more useful in his line of work than in Remus'. He held up his pad again. "You talk, I'll take notes."

"Fine." Severus' demeanor shifted from challenging to clinical as he stripped off the sheet and drew his wand, appearing to use a combination of spells and visual scrutiny as he moved slowly from one end of the gurney to the other. "Diagnostics confirm no abnormalities in the heart, lungs, or brain that would have caused the victim's death. No heart attack, lung disease, or aneurysm. No signs of malignant cell growth. No external bruising, lacerations, or wounds," he continued as he levitated the body off the gurney enough that he could examine the woman's back as well. "Damn!" He scowled and moved closer, seeming intent on poring over every inch of her body in search of something.

"What? What is it?" Remus asked, stepping closer and peering around Severus, trying to see what he was looking for. "What did you find?"

"Nothing!" Severus straightened and raked his fingers through his short hair, visibly annoyed. " _Think_ , for Merlin's sake! She's barely got two drops of blood left in her, but there are no exterior markings to account for such a massive blood loss. Where did it go? Unless a dark spell has been invented that turns the blood to steam in your veins, it had to be extracted somehow, yet the Healer attributed her death to the Killing Curse, which implies there was no blood found at the murder site. That narrows the field, but the lack of wounds..." He shook his head, scowling with frustration.

"Look in her hair," Remus said, pointing to the woman's head. "The scalp has a lot of blood vessels in it. Also at the base of her neck just below the hairline . An incision there would be difficult to see." He could tell Severus was agitated, and he wanted to be helpful, but he wasn't certain his advice would be welcome, so he steeled himself to be called something nasty and unpalatable in response.

"Well, then why don't you help me look instead of standing there?" Severus snapped. "You've got heightened senses. Use them!"

Remus gave Severus a level look, not bothering to mention that he'd not wanted to get in Severus' way and risk getting more bruised than just his ego. Then he moved over without a word, lifting the woman's head and bending close, doing the examination he'd suggested that Severus do. He carefully parted the woman's greying hair, then moved to the nape of her neck. There was nothing that he could find, and he straightened and moved away. "I didn't find anything either. Could the assailant have healed an injury just before she died, so that no one would find it? I assume there aren't any potions that would dry up the blood and do nothing else."

"None that _I_ am aware of," Severus said tersely. "Exsanguination... no visible wound... It doesn't quite add up, but I'm starting to believe we are not dealing with Death Eaters."

"It doesn't seem their style, no," Remus agreed, tapping his lips with a finger as he frowned in thought. "There are still places that we really can't search for a wound, but none of them suggest any specific entity. Say, in the mouth, or in the genitals, down the throat. The ancient Egyptians used to remove the brain through the sinus cavity, so that's a possibility too." He paused, then shook his head. "So someone is killing people, and if it isn't Death Eaters, they want it to _seem_ to be Death Eaters. Why? To throw people off the trail? Scare them? And why take the blood instead of just using the Killing Curse in the first place?" His eyes widened. "Would someone need that amount of blood for a potion? Or some spell?"

Severus looked up from the body and fixed Remus with a long, level look that implied better than mere words ever could just how much of an idiot he thought Remus was. "Or sustenance."

"Vampire." Remus said the word flatly, with no inflection whatsoever. He didn't care if Severus thought he was stupid, because damn it all, vampires were rare! Rarer even than werewolves, but just as deadly. More so, even, because their depravity wasn't limited to one night a month, nor done whilst they were out of their rational minds. Even worse, vampires could command other creatures - including, according to legend, werewolves. "So what are we going to do? Find the bloodsucking parasite and stake him? It's daylight now. Perhaps we can get an idea of where he's holed up."

Severus went still, and his stark features turned into a neutral, frozen mask. "It won't be that easy," he replied icily. "If this one is clever enough to disguise its kill to the point of fooling a Healer, then t is clever enough not to go for the stereotypical hiding places. We can probably rule out graveyards and crypts."

A chill went down Remus' spine, and he turned away, not wanting Severus to see his face since he wasn't certain he could maintain his mask and say what he needed to say. "There are... caves. Not right outside of the village, but not too far. They've been used before, to hide... bad things."

"That would be a good place to look." Severus' voice was still cold and inflectionless. "However, we ought not rule out the possibility that the vampire is hiding amongst the villagers. Think about it: the creature is covering its tracks, not feeding and leaving a calling card announcing to all and sundry that it popped 'round for a quick bite. Unless it is in league with the Death Eaters - which is entirely possible - then it is attempting to use recent events to throw people off its scent. That implies permanency. It wants a place to settle down and remain for a while with the villagers as its convenient food source. It may attempt to pose as one of them to secure its new feeding ground even more."

"Wouldn't people think it a bit odd to have a neighbor who was only seen at night?" Remus asked, turning around once more. "I suppose it's possible, but... well, it's taken a lot of victims in a short time. Soon people will begin to move away, or the Ministry will have to step in with a bunch of Aurors." He frowned, then, as something occurred to him. "It is a bit odd that we've not seen more panic. Four deaths in a population this small, you'd think people would be screaming in fear."

"This is the first death to take place within the village," Severus pointed out. "The rest have occurred farther afield. If the authorities are citing Death Eater activity or worse, claiming it's nothing but the work of copycats wanting to stir up trouble, then they are likely assuming that the authorities will solve the mystery, apprehend the culprits, and put an end to it all. I wouldn't be surprised if denial was at work, too. People are quite adept at ignoring unpleasant facts.

"Or facts that don't agree with their world view," Remus agreed quietly, but he wasn't thinking of the villagers. "All right, so we have a vampire, who may or may not be in league with Death Eaters. It may or may not be in the village itself, or just outside of it, and may or may not be posing as a human as well." He made a few notes on his pad. "All right, if we're finished here, perhaps we should go regroup and decide what to do next. We're not even positive it actually is a vampire, for that matter. Which leaves us just about where we started."

If the barb struck home with Severus, he didn't show it, which was no less than Remus expected. Instead, Severus lowered the body onto the gurney and yanked the sheet back up before turning to face Remus again. 

"I suggest we take a look at one or two of the murder sites," he said. "If they were willing to brush off the attacks as Death Eater copycats, then they may have overlooked crucial evidence."

"All right." Remus nodded, replacing his pad in his pocket and moving toward the door. "We can report to Albus afterward. Shall we start with the next most recent one first?"

"If you like." Severus swept past him, radiating stiff tension. Remus had no idea what he'd said or done to set Severus off this time, but it was clear something had turned Severus' demeanor from waspish to cold in the past few minutes. He knew he should be glad Severus wasn't sniping at him any more, but somehow this new attitude was more disturbing.

He followed Severus out the door and then out of the building. It was growing late in the afternoon, but they could still manage to walk to the scene of the previous crime. Pulling the scroll Albus had given him out of his pocket, he consulted it and then pointed to the road heading north toward the edge of town. "We need to go that way; it will take thirty minutes or so if we walk. Unless you wish to Apparate."

"I see no point in wasting valuable time walking," Severus retorted, fixing Remus with a disdainful stare. "The sooner we get this sorted out, the sooner we can go our separate ways." 

"As you wish," Remus replied. He drew his wand, and Apparated to the destination, not waiting for Severus. Really, the man was even more insufferable than Remus remembered. Remus had _tried_ to reach out to Severus during the year he'd been at Hogwarts and had been rebuffed every time. Well, he was through reaching out; Severus had outed him, making Remus' life take a sharp turn from uncomfortable to unbearable, and as far as Remus was concerned, the bastard was welcome to stew in his own bitterness. And he could bloody well do it where Remus wouldn't have to listen to it.

He looked around the small farm, consulting his notes again, and then he set off toward the barn where the victim - an elderly farm named Kellums - had been found less than a week before.

The familiar 'crack!' of Apparation alerted Remus to Severus' arrival, and it wasn't long before Severus caught up with him, striding along effortlessly, although Severus didn't offer a word of greeting or acknowledgment. Remus didn't offer anything either. He was about at his limit with Severus and his snarking and his mercurial, unpredictable moods. Remus wasn't about to be Severus' whipping boy; it was simply ironic that if Severus had asked him to listen as a friend, he would have gladly done so, even putting aside his anger over what Severus had done to him before.

Pulling his wand, Remus cast a detection spell to make certain there were no wards on the barn. It looked clear, and so he stepped forward and opened the door, peering inside at the dim, quiet interior.

"Lumos!" The end of his wand burst into light, and Remus entered, glancing around at the well-kept but now empty stalls. The documents they'd be given indicated that Kellums lived alone, and so no doubt his neighbors or his heirs had come to get the livestock and equipment days before. Which meant that any evidence was likely trampled and obscured, but it was still worth a look.

He heard Severus mutter "Lumos" as well, and the light from Severus' wand cut the darkness even more, but it was still dim and dusty enough to make searching for evidence, especially the subtle kind they would be looking for, seem like a daunting task. 

"Idiots!" Severus muttered. "We'll never find anything of use here. No doubt the so-called investigators took a look, saw what they wanted to see, and closed the case without ever bothering to ask questions or look deeper. Now the area has been compromised by outsiders traipsing around. It's useless!"

"So it would appear," Remus replied, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "We could check out the one before this; maybe it has been less disturbed." Frankly, he doubted it. Unless a crime scene was roped off and kept pristine, scents would be muddled and any other possible tracers would be inconclusive. "I wouldn't be surprised if this, too, was by design. He's certainly gone to a lot of trouble for a feeding ground."

"Vampires are rare because they are hunted down and staked," Severus replied, drawing himself up haughtily. "Staying in one place is tantamount to suicide unless a vampire is very clever and careful, as this one seems to be. Even vampires may grow weary of being nomadic or being perpetual outsiders. Perhaps the trouble is worth having a place to settle down at last."

"Right. Put down roots, raise a family of other vampires, invite the neighbors to tea," Remus said. "It's probably more likely he's picked what he considers a promising herd of cattle to slake his blood-lust. Wizarding blood is supposed to be more satisfying than Muggle blood to them. Maybe in killing the Muggles and Muggleborns, he's just culling his herd to improve its quality. This is a murderer we're dealing with. A _monster_ who kills wantonly and indiscriminately to feed. I doubt he's planning on joining the gardening club and running for president of the literary society."

He had the satisfaction of seeing Severus' hands curl into fists and Severus' face grow pale. 

"So says the _werewolf_ ," Severus retorted. "No doubt this vampire is establishing a feeding ground, but not all vampires are murderers. They were human once, and some of them don't let go of their humanity like the rest."

"Granted," Remus agreed, shrugging slightly. "And yes, so says the werewolf. Odd how you'll leap in to defend the vampires and yet color me with the same brush as someone like Fenrir Greyback." Remus' face grew hard as he thought about that _animal_. He was beginning to lose sight of his vow to be distant to Severus, but Severus was pushing him too close to the edge. "Some werewolves don't let go of their humanity either. At least I can say I've never bitten any human outside of myself!"

"Only because you're too mealy-mouthed," Severus replied with a mocking sneer. "Tell me, do you even have any teeth or balls? Or does Black have them in his keeping?"

The insult was more than Remus could take; after having spent decades desiring Severus, for him to taunt Remus about Sirius was just too much. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and a growl began to rumble low in his chest as the wolf rose up, unwilling to let this last torment go unchallenged. His eyes flashed golden, and the anger and aggression he'd suppressed all came boiling to the surface as he sprang, catching Severus by the shoulders and bearing him backward until his spine impacted the wooden wall with teeth-rattling force.

"I have my balls and my teeth," he snarled, pinning Severus against the wall. "I think a demonstration is in order." With that, he moved his head, brushing his nose along the column of Severus' throat, inhaling through nose and mouth to absorb as much as possible of Severus' intoxicating scent. No doubt he'd pay dearly for this later, but he was beyond caring at this point. He didn't have a fucking thing to live for, anyway. Might as well have one thing in his life worth dying for.

The wolf was howling within him, urging him on. It wanted to take, to claim, to have what it had wanted for so long. Always before Remus had denied it, but at last it was free, and it did what it had longed to do for years.

In a voice that was not kind, or patient, or mealy-mouthed, and in some ways was barely human, Remus growled "MINE!" and fastened his teeth on the pale, perfect skin of Severus' throat, biting down with bruising force.


	3. Chapter 3

Severus was stunned to find himself on the receiving end of Lupin's feral wrath; his breath was knocked out of him when his back hit the wall, but his lungs refilled in time to let him cry out at the feel of Lupin's teeth on his throat. Part of him reveled in what he had accomplished; he had been picking and poking, wanting to provoke a reaction from Lupin because being ignored was intolerable, although he hadn't quite expected to provoke anything like _this_.

Then again, he knew he ought not be surprised. Even if Lupin didn't know the truth, he could probably sense something different about Severus, just as Severus had sensed the difference in Lupin from the moment they met. Their respective natures recognized each other and were drawn together inexorably, like a moth to a flame, even if their conscious human minds fought to reject the connection. 

He hated being drawn to a spineless rug like Lupin, and yet he couldn't deny the attraction was there, just as it had been for years. He wanted Lupin with both halves of himself, but just because the monster within Severus yearned for teeth and claws didn't mean _he_ had to roll over and bare his throat to the damned wolf. 

He didn't dare use his full strength or let his emotions run too high; if he lost control, even Lupin couldn't fail to see the signs and figure out the truth, and after Lupin's comments about blood-sucking parasites, Severus was even more determined to keep his secret well-hidden. He opened his mouth to protest, but Lupin moved, releasing Severus' neck and crushing their mouths together. There was nothing of gentleness in the kiss; it was a possessive claim as Lupin thrust his tongue into Severus' mouth, the growl rumbling in his chest vibrating between them. The last thing Severus' pride would allow him to do was yield to Lupin's claim; he had two other men pulling his strings - possessing him - and he couldn't take on a third, especially not _Lupin_ , who was utterly spineless... Well, except for _now_. 

He wanted this, but on _his_ terms, and the only thing he _could_ do was try to take control himself; he gripped Lupin's shoulders tightly and fought to wrest control of the kiss away from Lupin and gain ascendancy himself, answering Lupin's growl with a muffled snarl of his own.

If anything, however, the resistance only seemed to feed the fuel of Lupin's anger and desire. Lupin pushed back against him, pinning him against the wall, plundering Severus' mouth as though he were trying to steal Severus' very soul. He moved his hands as well, sliding them down Severus' body so that he could grasp Severus' hips, holding him in place so that he could grind against him, leaving Severus in no doubt as to just how aroused he was.

It was gratifying to know that Remus wanted him, too, and his body was responding to Lupin, urging him to stop thinking for a while and simply _feel_. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been touched, and he had certainly never been touched like this. His previous lovers had either been perfunctory or yielding; none of them had ever tried to control _him_ , much less been this rough with him, even though he could easily take it.

Suddenly Lupin pulled back, and Severus found himself spun, his chest now pressed against the wall and Lupin hard against his back, thrusting against him. Again he felt Lupin's teeth, this time at the base of his neck, nipping hard before he felt the warm, wet slide of Lupin's tongue soothing the pain. He drew in a startled, stuttering breath, not only because of the arousing sensuality of Lupin's tongue on his bare skin, but also because of the claim Lupin's gesture implied, which was somehow more intense than the possibility - or rather, likelihood at this point - of being taken right there in the musty old barn.

Lupin's breath flowed over his skin, and then there was a hoarsely growled spell and their clothing disappeared. Lupin groaned, as though the feeling of Severus' bare skin against his was the most arousing thing he'd ever felt. Lupin's flesh slid against his, hot and damp, and he could feel the rasp of stubble as Lupin turned his head and rubbed his cheek against Severus' shoulder, as though he were trying to cover himself in Severus' scent. Severus shuddered, unable to repress it despite his best efforts; he hadn't felt anyone else's bare skin against his own in such a long time, and it felt good, even if it was Lupin. At least Lupin didn't seem inclined to mock his appearance. No, as odd as it was, it seemed Lupin really did want him, which was a slight salve to his pride at being manhandled. 

Lupin growled again, a low sound of satisfaction as he felt Severus' shudder. Then he murmured again, spells to prepare Severus to be taken. There was a clatter as Severus heard Lupin's wand drop to the floor, and then Lupin's hands splayed on his hips, holding him in place. A pause, and then Lupin moved forward, taking Severus in one deep, hard thrust. The burning, stretching pain of being taken wrung a harsh cry from Severus' throat, and he clenched his fists against the wall, his body taut as he tried to adjust to the invasion. He refused to surrender, to yield to Lupin's demanding claim; Lupin could take him, but he would _not_ submit. Determined to be contrary, he attempted to wrest away control again by pushing his arse back and trying to set his own pace instead of waiting for Lupin to set it for him.

Oddly enough, Lupin didn't protest this; instead he shifted one hand forward, caressing Severus' hip as he curved it around to the front of Severus' body and curled his fingers around Severus' arousal. He caught the rhythm Severus set, stroking him seductively in counterpoint to the thrust of his hips. At the same time, Lupin bent his head forward, kissing the back of Severus' neck, murmuring Severus' name against his skin before he bit down hard again, a blatant assertion that the wolf held both Severus' body and his life in his hands.

Shuddering helplessly, Severus squeezed his eyes shut, furious at his traitorous body for responding to Lupin's touch so readily. He tried to fight the rising tide of arousal and need threatening to overwhelm him, but when that didn't work, he tried to knock away Lupin's hand and take over, wanting to control his own release. This time, Lupin growled in protest, refusing to move his hand away. He increased the tempo of his hips and his hand, pounding into Severus roughly, apparently determined to drive Severus crazy; either that, or shag him through the wall. Lupin was breathing fast, the musky scent of his skin enhanced by sweat and exertion and pure lust. He lifted his mouth away from Severus' neck and nuzzled at Severus' ear, the gesture seeming almost affectionate.

With a snarl of frustration, Severus gave up and braced his forearms against the wall, hoping he wouldn't end up going _through_ it, and he buried his face in the crook of his arm as he felt his tightly-wound body nearing the point of snapping. He didn't want to give Lupin the satisfaction of seeing him lose control, but more than that, he didn't want Lupin to see the possible side effects that would give him away. Despite his years of practice and stringent self-control, the changes didn't always happen of his own volition when his emotions or desires were running high. Only when he was certain he was safe did he give in to the rising pleasure, clamping his lips together tightly to keep himself silent as release overwhelmed him.

"Yes, yes," Lupin growled in his ear, a note of possessive satisfaction in his voice. Lupin kept stroking him, intent on wringing every bit of pleasure he could from Severus, before he surged deep, crying out hoarsely as he shuddered, succumbing to the power of their joining as well.

After a moment, Lupin was still, but he didn't step away at once. He pressed against Severus, his lips on the back of Severus' neck, his heart pounding so hard that Severus could feel it. But Severus wasn't about to stand there and snuggle or pretend the encounter had been anything like intimate, and he elbowed Lupin sharply to force him back. 

"You've made your point," he growled. "Now get off me."

Lupin pulled back, then stooped to retrieve his wand from the floor. He summoned the clothing he'd banished, casting a cleaning charm on them both before levitating Severus' clothing to him. He offered no apology, nor did he look ashamed; instead he was doing something he hadn't done in the entire time since they had been summoned to Dumbledore's office: he met Severus' eyes directly, not avoiding Severus' gaze. The wolf was still there in the golden depths, as well as a hint of something that looked strangely like possessiveness.

"I hope this proves that Sirius Black has nothing to do with how I choose to act toward you or anyone else," Lupin said, his voice firm, almost hard. "I'm no longer a child, and while I prefer that people think well of me and don't bear me any ill will, you have reminded me rather strongly that isn't the case. I've tried to avoid confrontation with you in the interests of this mission, and also because you've wanted nothing more than to get a reaction out of me ever since Albus sent us on this mission. Well, you got one. And I no longer feel any need to hold myself in check in the future with you. Expect to get as good as you give, Severus. I'd rather have you think I'm as big a bastard as you are than a... what was it? Ah, yes. A spineless rug."

Severus snatched his clothes out of the air and held them in front of himself like a shield as he glared back at Lupin. "This doesn't prove anything except you conveniently find your backbone with... what was it? Ah, yes. Snivellus," he retorted. The possessive gleam in Lupin's eyes was unsettling, as was Lupin's unexpected display of spine, but he refused to show any weakness. "Somehow, I suspect your newly dropped balls would crawl right back up if someone you _liked_ or whose opinion you cared about was here."

"I think you might be surprised," Lupin replied. He didn't bother to cover his own nudity, standing in front of Severus apparently unashamed. "For the record, I never called you Snivellus. I freely admit I made mistakes in not standing up to my friends when I should have, but that was before anyone but they knew I was a werewolf, and I lived in fear of people finding out and having me sent away from Hogwarts. As it is, you've more than paid me back for _any_ injury I've ever done you, so I don't feel that I owe you any debt on that score. But one thing that your malice accomplished was to remove the fear of discovery from my life forever. I've found it much easier not to give a damn about what people think about me, because most of the time, their minds are already made up before we've even met."

 _Welcome to my world_ , Severus thought sourly, but he wasn't about to admit any commonality with Lupin, however slight. "So you think outing you as a werewolf is equal to attempted murder? Good to know exactly how skewed the Gryffindor mindset really is," he snapped.

"And Slytherins are obviously bastions of reason and logic," Lupin retorted, his eyes flashing again. "For such an intelligent man, you can be an anger-blindered idiot when you choose to be. I didn't know what Sirius was about or I would have done everything in my power to stop him. Why in the _hell_ would I have wanted you dead? Over and above the fact that I'd never wish my curse on anyone else and have no desire to commit murder, didn't you consider the fact that I would have been killed, or even worse, Kissed? I never hated you until you forced me to leave Hogwarts, no matter all the things you said about me, the lies and the insults and the smug superiority. When I came to teach that year, I had hoped that somehow we could put the past behind us, but I found out I was wrong, terribly wrong. You may be fighting on the right side of this war, Severus, but that doesn't make you a good man. So yes, I do consider what you did to make us even. Think what _you_ wish; you always do. There's no more reasoning with you than with a stone."

Severus drew himself up, stung despite his best efforts to brush off Lupin's barbs. He knew he wasn't a good man, but somehow hearing the accusation from someone else - especially Lupin - drove the hard truth home. Even worse was that he knew Lupin was blaming him for appearing to act with deliberate malice when he hadn't been acting entirely of his own accord, and before he could think better of it, pride drove him to speak. 

"If you want to blame someone, then you ought to know your precious Dumbledore shares the blame for your removal from Hogwarts!" he retorted hotly. "He knew the position was cursed when he hired you. Considering the fates of some of your predecessors, you ought to count yourself lucky you're still alive with your mind intact rather than sulking and blaming me for it!"

He had the satisfaction of seeing Lupin brought up short by that. Lupin closed his mouth and frowned, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Severus suspiciously. "What in the hell are you talking about? Is this another lie you're making up to cover your own arse, since Merlin knows the great Severus Snape couldn't ever possibly be _wrong_? Especially when it comes to me."

If Severus had been tempted to shut his mouth and say nothing more, Lupin's accusations made certain he didn't give in to temptation. "Why do you think Dumbledore keeps me in the Potions position despite the fact that I am far more capable and experienced than the likes of anyone else he's had in the Defense position? The students need to know how to defend themselves and the signs of Dark wizardry to look for, but he will not let me teach Defense because of the curse. Quirrell is dead, Lockhart is a permanent resident of St. Mungo's, you were forced to resign, and Barty Crouch was Kissed. Do you think any of that is coincidental? _No one_ can hold the position for more than a year, no matter how pure of Gryffindor heart they may be," he added with a sneer.

Lupin's frown deepened, and his face flushed, but even in his anger, he seemed unable to dispute Severus' claim. "Fine, so you got to take out all your hatred on me and have a perfect defense, right? Wonderful. Well, use that as a sop to your conscience if you wish. If you even have one. And thank you for telling me and destroying my trust in the last fucking person on the planet I thought gave a damn about me. I suppose the stupid cliche about the lone wolf might actually be true." He fell silent and began to pull on his clothes with short, jerky movements, as though he were having to hold himself in check against hitting something and not quite succeeding. 

"Idiot!" Severus shouted, annoyed at having to spell things out for the simple-minded wolf. "I knew your secret for over a decade, and I kept quiet. The curse used me as the means of getting rid of you. It took my anger and-" He stopped himself just short of adding _jealousy_. "-resentment and heightened them, driving me to behave irrationally. I was _used_." Bitterness laced his voice, although he supposed he ought to be accustomed to being used by now. Everyone used him: the Dark Lord, Dumbledore, and now even _Lupin_. He wasn't a person, merely a convenient tool, and while he had accepted his lot in life, he didn't have to like it.

There was silence as Lupin finished dressing, and then he straightened, looking at Severus and glaring. "I'm not going to get into a pissing contest with you about who's had it worse," he snapped. "Fine, you were used by the curse. So was I - by the curse and by Dumbledore. It doesn't change the fact that you hate me and always have. Once that mattered to me, idiot that I am. I actually _wanted_ your good regard, but even a stupid, Gryffindor optimist like me eventually realizes a hopeless cause when he sees one! The most ironic thing is that I _admired_ you for what you did. I knew it must have been hard to turn against the Dark Lord and know that you might be killed. I wanted to tell you that, but you didn't even want my admiration, just like you didn't want my gratitude over the potion. All I can see that you want is to use me as your whipping boy, to get a rise out of me for whatever amusement it gives you."

Severus stared at Lupin in silence for a moment, unable to think of how to respond. The safe thing to do would be to lash out and say something designed to confirm Lupin's poor opinion of him, something that would drive Lupin away and make certain Lupin never touched him again. The colossally stupid thing to do would be to admit that he had never hated Lupin as much as he seemed to or as much as he wanted to. His mind urged him to drive Lupin away once and for all, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do it, not when he'd had too few people express any sort of admiration for him. Most of the mistakes he'd made in his life had stemmed from his desire to be acknowledged, to have his abilities appreciated, and as little as he liked to admit it, he couldn't help but be affected when they finally _were_. 

"You don't understand anything as well as you think you do, least of all me," he said at last, wishing he wasn't still naked, yet loath to turn his back and get dressed, despite feeling a need for armor.

Lupin must have been expecting harsh words, either that or stony silence, because his eyes rounded in surprise. "No doubt you're right," he admitted, giving a huff of frustration. "I wish I did, Severus. You don't know how much I wish I understood you. Maybe then something about my life would finally make some sense."

"Life never makes sense, especially during a war," Severus retorted, pushing himself away from the wall at last. He shook out his clothes and began to dress awkwardly, trying to cover himself as quickly as possible. 

"So it seems." Lupin turned away, apparently granting Severus his privacy. "I think it's getting too late to go to the other sites. I'm going back to the room. I'll write up the notes for Dumbledore" - there was a decided edge to Lupin's voice when he said the name - "and send them before going to bed."

"Fine. I'll be along shortly," Severus replied tersely as he finished dressing and smoothed out his clothes. He'd had about as much togetherness - literally as well as figuratively - as he could stand for the time being, and he wanted some time alone to sort out his thoughts and process everything that had happened in private.

"Right." Lupin hesitated for a moment. "I know you can handle yourself, but I would appreciate it if you would let me know if you're going to be out alone after dark. If the vampire is attempting to establish himself here, no doubt he will be both aware and suspicious of any newcomers. If he does have anyone in his thrall, it could be dangerous to go about alone."

"You're right: I _can_ handle myself." Severus drew the folds of his coat around himself as if to shield himself. "But I am not foolish enough to stay out after dark while in a strange place with a vampire on the loose."

"Very well." Lupin looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead he just gave Severus a long look. For a moment, the wolf was there in his eyes again, a flash of something that seemed to mark Severus, making the bite at the base of his neck tingle. Then with a crack of displaced air, Lupin was gone.

Severus rubbed the back of his neck, trying to dispel the tingle, and sank down to squat on the balls of his feet, his back pressed against the wall, where the scent of sex still lingered in the air. He had no idea what he'd got himself into, how he'd got himself into it, or how he was going to get out of it, but he had a sinking feeling that his life had just slipped that much further out of his control.


	4. Chapter 4

It took Remus longer than it probably should have to write up the notes for Dumbledore, but he found himself stopping and staring at the parchment for long stretches. The memory of what had happened in the barn kept pinging for his attention, and he had to fight it back. Now was not the time to dwell on what had occurred, nor even on what Severus had revealed about Albus. Severus could return at any moment, and Remus didn't want him asking why he hadn't done what he'd said he would do. 

Finally he managed to pen a terse report. He couldn't bring himself to put in any witticisms, any droll comments, or even ask any questions about how Sirius was doing or if Albus had heard from Harry. He was too raw and too wound up, and it was with a sense of relief that he attached the parchment to the leg of the owl he'd rented from the boy at the desk and sent it off to Hogwarts.

Rising from the desk, he moved to the dresser and withdrew his pajamas and robe. He needed a long, hot shower and some time alone, and he sure as hell couldn't eat anything at the moment. As he picked up his toiletry kit, he heard someone at the door, but he kept his back to it, not certain how to act toward Severus when he simultaneously wanted to snog and throttle the contrary git.

Severus let himself into the small room and closed the door behind himself, but Remus didn't hear him move further into the room. Silence drew out for a few long moments, and when Severus finally did speak, his voice was low and tight.

" _That_ is not happening again," he said, and Remus didn't have to ask what he was referring to. "You made your point. I got it. You needn't think you are going to repeat the lesson."

The wolf within Remus snarled within his mind, not caring for Severus' words one bit. Remus clamped down on it firmly, even though it wasn't as easy as it had once been. Oh, Severus had certainly made the wolf itchy plenty of times, but there was a decided difference now. Before the wolf had been protesting Severus' attitude because of unrequited attraction. Now, however, the wolf didn't care for hearing such things from the person it considered _his_.

Remus draped a towel from the washstand over his arm to give himself a moment to get any potential growl out of his voice. He couldn't manage to find the level of detachment he would have liked, but he knew he had to reply. "So long as you don't push me," he replied, turning toward Severus at last. 

Severus stood by the door, with his coat and his arms wrapped around himself, and he regarded Remus with careful neutrality, an odd sight on a face that had seemed set in a perpetual scowl. "I have no intention of pushing you."

"Then it seems we have an accord," Remus replied. He was suddenly too tired for this. "Excuse me, please. I sent the report to Dumbledore, and I'm going to go have a shower and go to bed. Unless there was anything else you wished to say?"

"No, that is all," Severus replied, shifting sideways along the wall as if to get out of Remus' way.

The avoidance irritated Remus all out of proportion to what it should, and he knew the wolf's anger was going to be difficult to control. He eyes flashed, and he frowned. "I'm not going to attack you," he said sharply, almost on the verge of snapping. He ran a hand through his hair, growling in frustration at himself and Severus both. "You have the distinction of being the only person who has ever made me lose control. I'm not apologizing, but neither am I an animal. Or maybe I am. I don't fucking know any more. Unfortunately it isn't just my reactions I'm having to deal with." He probably shouldn't say any more, but it didn't really matter, since Severus' opinion of him could hardly get any worse. "You're also the only person to whom my wolf has ever reacted. As you had whatever that damned curse was working on you at Hogwarts, I'm dealing with my own."

Severus didn't appear surprised by that revelation, although his expression was so impassive, he could have been masking it. "Then I suggest you invest in a muzzle and a leash," he retorted acerbically. "As I said, I learned the lesson the first time, and I will not be used as your wolf's convenient chew toy."

The wolf wanted to push Severus against the wall and prove Severus wrong on that point, and unless Remus did something, he was beginning to wonder if he could stop it. Something had changed, and he didn't think he was imagining that his reactions to Severus were even stronger now. "Fine," he bit out, moving toward the door. The scent of Severus grew stronger as he drew closer, and it was only by holding his breath that he was able to get past Severus to the door without giving in to the wolf's desire to run his nose along Severus' neck for a deeper sniff.

He opened the door, then turned to look at Severus. "Don't lock me out. I'm not about to spend the night on the parlor sofa."

Severus' mask finally cracked, and he shot Remus an affronted look. "The thought hadn't occurred to me. Despite what you may think of me, I am not that petty, especially when we both need to be alert and mentally acute if we are to find the killer."

Remus inclined his head, glad to see anything but that look of neutrality on Severus' face. "I apologize," he said quietly, then turned and departed, heading towards the shower. Hopefully he could think things through and get a grip on his moody, recalcitrant wolf before the beast got him into even more trouble. Severus might not be quite as petty as Remus had thought, but he could certainly be vindictive, and Remus didn't want to find himself on the wrong end of Severus' wand. 

Or at least not the one with which he threw spells.


	5. Chapter 5

The morning sunlight was bright and cheerful, but it did nothing to dispel the chill Remus felt as he stood looking into the maw of the large, dark cave.

It wasn't too surprising, he supposed, not when it had been a place where he'd experienced so much terror. Not that he was certain this particular cave was the one where Greyback had attacked him; there were too many, and it had been a very long time before. But this one was symbolic of the place where he'd been bitten and his life cursed forever, and as such it made the hackles of the wolf rise, literally as well as figuratively.

Of course it didn't help that Severus was standing only a few feet away, close enough to touch and yet probably further removed than he'd ever been.

The night before Remus had returned from his shower with no more answers than he'd left. There were simply no answers, and he wasn't even certain what answer he wanted anyway. Severus still hated him, and not even intense desire on the part of the wolf was ever going to change that. The fact that they'd had sex hadn't even altered anything, so Remus was at a loss as to what to do. He knew what the wolf wanted, but Severus had made it clear he had no interest in a repeat of their encounter in the barn, so that wasn't in the cards. At the moment it seemed as though the best he could hope for was cold civility, something that was difficult to achieve when his pesky cursed half wanted to force Severus into a submission, to acknowledge the wolf's ownership of Severus, body and soul. He shied away from thinking "mate", but he had the horrible feeling his lupine self had made up its mind, dooming both he and it to eternal disappointment and loneliness.

Severus had been asleep, or at least pretending to be, when Remus had gingerly opened the door of their shared room. He didn't know if he were annoyed or relieved that Severus was already in bed, completely obscured by his coverlet so that he didn't have to acknowledge Remus in any way. The wolf wanted to go crawl into the bed with Severus, but a short, intense internal battle decided the outcome of that particular war, and Remus had made his way to his own bed, slipping beneath the covers to spend hours just staring at the ceiling, not knowing what to do.

He must have fallen asleep at some point, for he woke not long after dawn. He'd retrieved his clothing and shoes silently, changing and heading down to the dining room before Severus stirred. For all he knew Severus was lying there awake, just waiting for him to finish, but he hadn't waited around to find out. A snatched cup of tea and a piece of toast were all that Remus could choke down anyway, and so he'd scribbled a note for Severus that he was going to see who in the town might have arrived in only the last few months, slipping it under the door of their room before heading out to talk to the shop keepers, one of whom would be certain to know any new customers who might be around.

Severus had caught up with him about an hour later, and true to his word, Severus hadn't tried to provoke him. There were no more snide remarks, no more veiled insults, no more verbal pokes that seemed designed to rattle Remus' calm and get a response out of him. No, Severus had been quiet, limiting his conversation to asking questions of the shopkeepers they visited, and he had kept a careful distance between himself and Remus. 

Given the small number of shops in the village, it hadn't taken much longer for them to finish their rounds of questioning, and that had left the caves as their next line of investigation. With any luck, the caves would yield more useful information than the shopkeepers, who had been willing to cooperate, but unfortunately, they had little information to impart. It seemed there hadn't been anyone new in town, and no one had noticed anyone strange lurking around. Remus had dutifully written down what scant information they had got, and then they left the village, and they now stood poised to enter the dank, gloomy caves. 

"Lumos," Severus said and lifted his wand up to illuminate the darkness as he stepped forward, not waiting to see if Remus was going to follow.

Of course Remus did, but it was an act of pure will. He illuminated his own wand, every hair on the back of his neck standing straight up as he trailed along in Severus' wake.

Not all of his discomfiture was from the past, however. They caves smelled vile, an odor of death and decay that even the wolf didn't much care for. There were leaves and debris piled nearly everywhere, but near the back Remus saw an area that seemed to be cleaner than the others.

"Over here," he murmured to Severus, moving to the area he'd seen and crouching down to look at the floor. As he did he kicked something with his foot, and he moved the light of his wand to show the dried out husk of what had obviously been a rabbit. "Well, this is interesting."

With the addition of Severus' wand-light as he moved closer to see what Remus had found, it was easy for them both to see more bodies, all animals in various stages of decay, but for all the death and decay, there was no sign of dried blood anywhere. 

Severus knelt to get a closer look, and after a moment, he rocked back on his heels. "I don't smell blood," he said. "There are visible bite marks on the fresher ones as well. Assuming this was done by a vampire, it wasn't trying to cover its tracks with these as it was with its human victims."

"He wouldn't need to, since no one has come into these caves in over thirty years," Remus replied, his voice low and rough. "They... have a bad reputation, so if the vampire knew that he must have known it would be safe enough to just leave things."

"There are female vampires, you know, and we haven't ascertained whether it's male or female yet," Severus pointed out. "At any rate, if this place has a bad reputation, it's likely the vampire hid out here at first, knowing it would be safe from anyone stumbling on its lair. I suppose it got tired of rabbits and decided to move up the food chain."

Remus straightened. "Yes, I know there are female vampires," he replied evenly, then frowned and shrugged. "For some reason, though, I just... sense male. Maybe something in the scents, although I certainly could be wrong." He cast the light around the rest of the cave, but he didn't notice anything else, and the scents that remained were old. "So _it_ was here, but it's been gone for a while now. It must have moved to more comfortable accommodations."

Shuddering, he turned. "If we're done here, let's go. I hate these caves."

"They're just caves. There isn't anything dangerous in residence at the moment." Severus stood up and glanced around again, as if to make certain he hadn't missed anything, and then he set off toward the entrance.

"No, not at the moment, fortunately," Remus said, taking a deep breath as he stepped out into the open air, feeling better not having the miasma that clung to the caves dragging at him. He glanced sidelong at Severus, and for some reason he couldn't quite fathom he spoke again. "In one of these caves is where Fenrir Greyback was hiding when he took me and turned me. After that the people around here shunned them, afraid that Greyback might come back and take more children."

There was a flash of surprise in Severus' eyes, and he nodded slowly. "I see. Well, we needn't linger."

"All right," Remus said. He wasn't certain why he'd wanted Severus to know that; perhaps so that Severus would see him as having been human once, a young victim of things beyond his control. Severus had made it obvious on more than one occasion that he thought Remus somehow more like an animal than a person, and Remus had always hated that fact. 

He glanced around the woods, then sighed. "I'm going to walk back to town. Perhaps there will be some other clue along the way that we'd miss if we Apparated."

"Go ahead," Severus replied. "I am going to scout the area near the caves to see if the vampire left any evidence to its current whereabouts or anything we might use to make our case to the authorities."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you back in town," Remus said, then turned away and started down the faintly marked trail that lead toward the main path. The wolf didn't want to leave Severus alone and unprotected in this dangerous place, but Remus wasn't going to give in to the temptation to hover. It would only make Severus angry, which wouldn't be of any use at all.

It was quiet in the woods, and Remus found his thoughts drifting to Severus, and the relationship they had, if it could be called that. He hadn't thought things could get worse between them than they had been when Remus had been forced to resign, but somehow it seemed they were. There had been explanations, and Remus wasn't really angry any longer; he was more disappointed and dismayed. Yes, Severus had been operating under the effects of the curse on the position, but that didn't change the fact that Severus hated him to begin with, and that the explanation hadn't in any way contained a hint of apology. Instead Severus had seemed to almost blame Remus for the fact that the curse had used him, which would have almost been funny if it hadn't been so typical.

He was so focused on his morose thoughts that he didn't hear the approach of an animal running from behind him until it was almost upon him, and he whirled, bringing his wand level with what he thought might be something intent on attacking him. Instead he saw a massive, furry black form, one that he recognized, and with a mixture of surprise, relief, and exasperation, he lowered his wand.

"Dammit, Padfoot! What are you doing here?" he asked in a chiding tone.

The big black dog bounded around Remus twice, barking a happy greeting, and then he plopped down in front of Remus, striking his 'harmless and adorable' pose and trying to look pitiful.

"Shut it, you git! Do you want someone to hear you?" Remus scolded, the sighed, unable to be too angry given that it was comforting to know that _someone_ was glad to be around him. Reaching out, he scratched Padfoot's ears, knowing that Sirius liked it. "Dumbledore is going to kill you, you know. You aren't supposed to be out where you can be seen. What if the Aurors found you?"

Padfoot leaned into the scratching, his eyes half-lidded, and he panted happily. After a moment, he transformed back into human form and leaned against Remus' leg, gazing up at him appealingly. "The Aurors don't know to look for a black dog," he pointed out. "Besides, I evaded capture for a year on my own. I'm safe enough as long as I don't transform in front of other people."

Remus snorted and shook his head, pushing Sirius off of his leg. "Yes, you eluded capture, though Merlin knows how sometimes," he replied. "And even though the Aurors didn't know, there's always a chance they could find out, and then where would you be?" He shook his head, thinking of Severus. "Besides, Severus isn't far away, and you don't want him to see you or there will be hell to pay. This mission is already difficult without him being furious with me about you showing up!"

Sirius frowned as he climbed to his feet and folded his arms across his chest. "I heard you got saddled with Snivellus. I thought you could use some back-up. It isn't fair that you got stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with _him_. I wouldn't wish that on anyone!"

"Don't call him that!" Remus bit out before he could even think, the wolf rising in his eyes before he could stop it. He fought down the growl that started to rumble in his chest as the wolf sprang to Severus' defense. 

Sirius took an involuntary step backward, his pale eyes growing wide as he stared at Remus in obvious disbelief. "What's the matter with you, Moony? Did that bastard do something to you?"

Remus watched Sirius' reaction, knowing that he must have shocked him deeply, but he couldn't help it; the intolerance on both sides was more than he could take any longer. "All he did was explain some things that someone who I thought cared about me couldn't be bothered to do," he replied, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "Did you know the Defense position was cursed? No, I'm sure you didn't, how could you? But Dumbledore did. It's cursed so that no one can hold it for more than a year, and you know how that turned out for a couple of the holders before me, and the one after. I thought I had finally found a niche, some place to belong and a career doing what I loved, but he _knew_ I wouldn't be able to keep it for more than a year. He also knew there was a chance I could even be killed if I took the job, or have my secret exposed, which it was. But he never warned me - he set me up, Sirius. Albus betrayed me for his own reasons."

It stung more than he expected, and his voice was forced out through a tight throat by the end. He couldn't explain his sense of betrayal to Severus, be he knew Sirius would understand.

"Damn." Sirius' expression turned from shocked to sympathetic, and he moved closer to Remus, reaching out to touch his arm lightly. "I'm sorry, Moony. That wasn't fair to you, not at all."

"No, it wasn't," Remus said, for once not at all inclined to look on the bright side or assume that there wasn't selfish intent behind what had happened. "And worse, Albus was quite content to let me blame Severus for all of it. No, Severus doesn't like me, but he didn't betray me on purpose, not the way Albus did."

"So?" Sirius' expression darkened again. "Whether he betrayed you on purpose or not has nothing to do with the fact that he's a greasy, obnoxious bastard. It's like Dumbledore was trying to add insult to injury by making you work with him!"

"Stop it!" Remus snarled the words, wrestling with the wolf's desire to cuff Sirius to make him stop the disrespect of Severus. "Severus _could_ turn you over to the Aurors, and he hasn't, so quit the name calling. It's not as though his attitude toward you or I isn't justified, given the torment he went through." He held up a hand to forestall the protest he was sure Sirius would make. "Yes, he gave back as good as he got. Hell, at this point I don't even remember how it started, but whatever the reason, we were children and it's time to move beyond all that. Otherwise, Sirius, I'd have to be just as upset with _you_ for what you did to me, using me to try to hurt Severus. Didn't it ever occur to you that if he'd been bitten or killed, they would have _destroyed_ me?"

Sirius gaped at him again, although Remus wasn't sure whether his shock stemmed from the realization of what could have happened or from the fact that Remus was standing up to him. "At the time... no," Sirius admitted, stepping away from Remus again. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't use you on purpose. I wasn't thinking about the consequences. All I was thinking about was trying to keep Snivellus from snooping and following us around. Following _you_ around, especially."

"Stop calling him that!" Remus snapped again, then ran a hand through his hair, wanting to rip it out by the roots. Soon he would have no friends at all, and as annoying as Sirius could sometimes be, he was the only person left in Remus' life who gave a damn about him. "Sorry, Padfoot, but... thanks for the apology. I know you didn't do it on purpose - if you had, I never could have forgiven you. We were all young and stupid. But you can't keep treating him disrespectfully, not when he doesn't deserve it. We've all lost too much in both this war and the last one, and even if you don't like Severus he's been there for Harry when neither of us could be. He could have turned Harry over to the Dark Lord to cement his own place in his good graces, but he hasn't. He isn't a nice man, but he's done the right thing at considerable cost to himself. He hates my guts, but we've reached an accord to allow us to get through this mission. I think you'd better do the same thing with him, because that's what's best for everyone."

"The hell I will!" Sirius exclaimed, shaking his head as he backed away. "Dumbledore made us shake hands, but that doesn't mean I've got to tolerate him, much less stop hating him. From Harry says, _Snape_ has treated him like shit. He _hates_ Harry, and he hates you and me both. I doubt there's anyone in the world he does like!"

There was no arguing with that, but the wolf was still annoyed and defensive of Severus. Remus lifted a hand to rub at his eyes, feeling a headache coming on. "That could be, but just because you don't like him doesn't change that he has done what had to be done to keep Harry safe, and he didn't have to. Fine, do as you wish, Padfoot, but if you're going to snipe at him, don't do it around me, please. I'm tired of the fighting and I'm not going to stand aside like I did when I was a prefect and let you start fights with him. I can't, not any more. It's beyond my control, and I don't want to lose my only friend over this."

Sirius backed off even further. "Fine," he replied. "I came here to help you out, but it looks like you don't want my help." He gave Remus a suspicious look. "It sounds to me like you're doing just fine with him on your own."

"Padfoot, I appreciate that you want to help, but really, there isn't anything you can do," Remus replied, his voice tired. "It's been... stressful, but I think we've reached a point of understanding. Or at least I hope so." He smiled, trying to ease the sting because he knew things were hard for Sirius, too - it wasn't easy to have spent thirteen years of your life having your happy memories sucked out by Dementors as punishment for crime you hadn't committed. Sirius had had it bad, too. "Look, sorry, I'm tired and stressed and we seem to have a vampire on our hands, rather than Death Eaters. Why don't you go back to my house? When this is all over and I get back maybe we can figure out something fun to do. Have Harry over for a visit, maybe take him to the beach for a day. Anything that isn't stressful, right? Something normal. It feels like years since I've done anything normal."

"It _has_ been years since I've done anything normal," Sirius replied, bitterness lacing his voice. "Fine. If you don't want me here, I'll go. Good luck with Snivellus," he added with a disdainful tilt of his chin before he turned back into Padfoot and loped away without a backward glance. 

"GAH!" Remus snarled as Sirius ran away, then turned and smacked his clenched fist in to a tree in frustration. Pain throbbed through his hand, but he didn't care - it helped to distract him from the fact that he'd probably just lost Sirius' friendship for defending Severus - and Severus hated his guts. It didn't matter that he was trying to do the right thing, he was going to end up with nothing by the end of this. Yet another thing he had to thank Albus for.

Turning back toward town, Remus walked as quickly as he could, not bother to cast a healing charm on his bruised and bleeding knuckles. It was a minor hurt in comparison to the others he faced, and he only wished that the other injuries he sustained could be taken care of as easily.


	6. Chapter 6

Severus kept his mouth shut as the investigation continued, in part because he didn't want to provoke another 'lesson' and in part because he had things to chew on, which meant he didn't care to talk. He hadn't mentioned that he'd overheard the conversation between Lupin and Black; Lupin didn't need to know that Severus' hearing was nearly as keen as a werewolf's, more than keen enough to hear every word despite being at a distance. He wasn't certain what shocked him more: that Black had showed up or that Lupin had spoken up in defense of him. He couldn't even attribute it to Lupin making a point because he hadn't been there and Lupin had no idea that he could have overheard them. Lupin had defended him without any prompting, which he was having a difficult time wrapping his mind around. 

In the absence of any other possible motivation, Severus was forced to conclude that perhaps Lupin _had_ changed, that perhaps losing his job and being outed had forced him to face the futility of trying to make everyone happy so they would like him. Perhaps Lupin had finally grown a spine, which was nothing short of miraculous. Of course, Lupin with a backbone posed a problem for Severus, especially if Lupin kept trying to fuck him into submission. Severus already had two masters; he couldn't - _wouldn't_ \- take on a third, especially not Lupin. Maybe Lupin had changed, but that didn't mean Severus was ready to roll over and bare his throat, to submit, to be taken and used, to give up even more of himself when he had so little left. 

Instead, he focused on the task at hand, and they made short work of investigating the other murder sites in hopes of finding any clues that might lead them to the vampire's current whereabouts. In one place - a deserted farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere - he thought he sensed something, a dark presence, but searching the house had yielded nothing, and he almost wished they _had_ stumbled across the vampire, if only so they would have something concrete to do instead of all the fruitless running around.

Lupin obviously felt something too, for he kept frowning and looking over his shoulder. As they walked out of the house, he turned to Severus, his face flushed and his breathing seeming fast and shallow. "Did you feel anything in there?" he asked, running a hand through his hair and dislodging his ponytail, then tugging on his earring in a gesture that seemed almost fretful. "I wish it wasn't so close to the moon - it sometimes makes me jittery enough that I'm not certain if I'm overreacting to nothing."

"Yes, I felt something," Severus replied, frowning slightly. He was half-tempted to suggest returning to the house, but twilight was approaching, and perhaps it was merely the waxing of the moon that had Lupin so antsy. "We might consider returning tomorrow and doing a slower, more thorough investigation. It might be nothing more than the effects of frustration and paranoia, or it may be something worth looking for."

"Right." Lupin glanced back over his shoulder at the farmhouse again and shivered, then looked at Severus again. "Let's go, it's getting late." With that he drew his wand and Apparated away.

Severus Apparated back to the bed and breakfast establishment as well and headed up to their room to occupy himself with writing up a report for Dumbledore and organizing his own notes in hope of finding something, however slight, that he'd missed that might make everything fall into place. As the sun set and the moon rose, Lupin seemed to grow more and more restless, making it difficult for Severus to concentrate, but he refused to utter any of the various snarky comments that rose to mind, hunching over his notes with renewed concentration instead.

As the moon crested the mountains Lupin moved to the window, staring out at the nearly full moon with his fingers clenched on the window sill. At least he'd stopped pacing, but now he was disturbingly still, barely seeming to breathe for several long minutes. Then he turned slowly away. "I'm going to bed now," he said, his voice odd, almost detached. It could be that he was simply tired, and that seemed to be supported by the way he moved to the dresser to retrieve his pajamas and robe, his movements almost listless, although his face was serene. He left the room, then returned a few minutes later, slipping between the sheets of his bed and closing his eyes without another word.

Severus watched him, frowning. Lupin wasn't normal under the best of circumstances, but this was odd behavior even by his standards, and rather than get undressed and go to bed himself, Severus remained where he was. Whether by instinct or intuition, he was led to keep watch, and he did, remaining at the tiny desk as the moon rose in the night sky. 

After about an hour, Lupin rose again, slipping from his bed without a sound. He paid no attention to robe or slippers, but moved to the window, glancing out of it before nodding, apparently to himself, then heading to the door, opening it and silently moving into the hallway. Puzzled and alarmed in equal measure, Severus rose and followed him as swift and silent as a shadow; he gave passing thought to grabbing Lupin and stopping him, but perhaps there was something at work - or rather, someone. Perhaps this was the break-through they needed. 

Lupin didn't falter or hesitate - he headed toward the door to the bed and breakfast, opening it and stepping out into the moonlit darkness like a pale ghost. Heading directly toward the woods, he paid no attention to Severus or anything else, moving like someone who was sleep walking. He stopped just short of the tree line, and a shape moved, dark against darkness. 

Severus hung back, blending into the shadows as he watched and waited to see if his suspicions were confirmed. He knew the stories, but he had always wondered if what he'd been told was true, not some exaggerated glamorization, and it seemed he was about to find out.

The darkness shifted again, and a figure stepped into the moonlight in front of Lupin. Whoever it was wore a hooded cloak, and a gleam of white with the folds of fabric almost made it look like a mask. Just before Severus could decide that they might be dealing with Death Eaters after all, the figure pulled back the hood, revealing a wealth of blonde hair pushed back from a male face that looked surprisingly young. But when the young man smiled at Lupin in a possessive, satisfied fashion, there was no mistaking the fangs that glistened at the corners of his lips.

"Ah, my garou... you came when I called." The voice was light, with a hint of Scottish brogue to it. The vampire reached out to caress Lupin's cheek. "You will be quite useful to me... quite useful indeed."

"I think not," Severus announced as he stepped out of the shadows and approached the vampire. His satisfaction of being right about the killer was tempered by the fact that Lupin was apparently under the vampire's control now, which meant he faced a two-to-one confrontation. "You aren't as clever as you think you are, and that is not your werewolf."

The vampire whirled, lips pulled back in a snarl as he hissed at Severus, his eyes seeming to flash red with fury. "Dhampir!" he snarled, taking a step forward, body tense and appearing coiled for a strike. "I smelled you, but you're too late. This one is mine now, and your blood is weak. If you go now and leave him and this place to me, I won't destroy you. But if you defy me, you will die most painfully."

Drawing his wand, Severus advanced, not at all cowed or impressed by the vampire's posturing. He had faced both Voldemort and Dumbledore in their wrath, and this vampire was not nearly as intimidating. "I am not going anywhere," he retorted. "You have killed innocent people and played on their fears, and I have come to stop you."

Severus' declaration was greeted with mocking laughter. "I've been alive for centuries! What makes you think that you can destroy me?" he asked, his voice full of contempt. "But if you would make things difficult... Garou! Kill him!"

Lupin's head snapped up at the command, his eyes going first to the vampire, then moving to rest on Severus. He trembled, his eyes seeming to glow in the moonlight like a feral animal's, full of hunger. But it wasn't blood-lust, or a desire to kill - instead there was possessiveness in Lupin's eyes, and he began to growl, a low menacing sound.

"NO."

Severus blinked, startled by Lupin's refusal; he hadn't expected Lupin to have the strength of will to fight the vampire's control, which meant either the vampire wasn't that strong or Lupin was stronger than Severus gave him credit for being. But at the moment, that didn't matter; right now, he had a vampire to deal with. 

"It looks like you will have to face me without back-up," Severus said, his features hardening. "And _I_ am a real Death Eater, not a poser like you."

If Severus was surprised, the vampire appeared out and out shocked for a moment, before rage twisted his features. Obviously he wasn't used to being either defied or challenged. He snarled again, then moved with blinding speed, catching Lupin on the side of his head with his fist, a blow that staggered Lupin and caused him to fall to the ground.

"This isn't over!" the vampire shouted, before swirling his black cloak around him and seeming to fade into the darkness.

Severus surged forward, shouting "Lumos!" as he tried to catch the retreating vampire, but he was too slow - and too late. " _Damn_." He whirled and stormed back to Lupin, and he knelt and poked Lupin experimentally with the tip of his wand, remaining alert just in case Lupin decided to attack after all.

Lupin groaned, opening his eyes and staring up at Severus for a moment, before pulling himself into a sitting position and putting a hand to his head. "Damn," he said, pulling his hand back to show fingers smeared with blood. No doubt if Lupin had been human instead of a werewolf the blow would have crushed his skull instead of simply giving him what looked like no more than a cut and probably a horrific headache. "That wasn't pleasant."

Severus rolled his eyes as he stood up again, although he didn't put away his wand in case the vampire returned to ambush them. "At least we know for certain what we're dealing with."

Silence greeted Severus' remark, and then Lupin moved, hauling himself to his feet and brushing clinging leaves from his pajamas. "Yes we do," he said finally, then turned to look at Severus, his face once more the unreadable mask he wore to cover up his feelings. "Is it true?"

Severus didn't bother asking what Lupin meant; he had hoped the vampire's attempt to control Lupin had fogged Lupin's mind enough that he hadn't realized what the vampire had said, but apparently Severus' luck hadn't held out. Not that it ever did, he thought sourly.

"Yes," he replied brusquely. "It's true. I'm descended from a vampire."

Lupin looked at him in silence again, then turned and started back toward the Bed and Breakfast without another word. Severus knew better than to think he had heard the last of it, however, and he released a slow breath as he followed Lupin back to the B&B and up to their room, steeling himself for the inevitable confrontation. 

Once they were in the room and the door was closed, Lupin moved to the far wall, turning so that it was against his back and crossing his arms over his chest before looking at Severus again. When he spoke, his voice was empty. "I suppose it at least explains why I react to you," he said. "What it doesn't explain is why you've treated me like dirt all these years and kept up the fiction that you could possibly have been the victim of attempted murder when you had to have known what I was all along."

Severus remained by the door and leaned against it, mirroring Lupin's posture as he tried to figure out how to respond that wouldn't give away too much. "The same reason you allowed your friends to treat _me_ like dirt," he said at last. "I had secrets of my own to keep, and you can't tell me your precious friends wouldn't have made my life even worse than they already did if they had known I am essentially a Dark creature."

"I don't know what they would have done," Lupin replied with a shrug. "But this isn't about them, it's between you and I. You hate me, yet you're the same as I am. You've done everything in your power to make me feel like I'm inhuman, little more than an animal. The hypocrisy is positively breathtaking."

"You said it yourself," Severus replied, drawing himself up haughtily. "I am not a good man. I am also, in part, a blood-sucking parasite."

Lupin gave a wintry smile at that, an expression that didn't indicate any amusement at all. "And I'm a spineless rug. I suppose we're even in that regard, at least. To be honest, I'm torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to shake you until your teeth rattle. Not that my wolf would let me do it, any more than it would let the vampire use me to hurt you."

"Don't bother reading too much into that," Severus replied. "The only reason your wolf reacts to me is because of the trace of vampire influence in my nature. If I were normal, it would not be interested in me."

The remark caused Lupin's eyes to widen in surprise. "But it wasn't interested in the oth..." He clamped his lips shut quickly, turning away and staring down at the clock on the dresser. "I'm going back to bed."

"Fine." Severus relaxed marginally, relieved the confrontation hadn't been any worse. After what had happened in that barn, he expected Lupin might try to teach him another lesson in retribution for all the lies and insults, but at least this time, he would have been able to fight without holding back. He hesitated, debating, and then he decided there probably wasn't any harm in making a small concession. "Now that you know about me, I won't insult you based on your lycanthropy any longer. There isn't any point to it since I have no more need to hide the truth from you."

Lupin glanced at him once more. "Thank you," he said, his voice so inflectionless it was hard to tell if he meant it sincerely or sardonically. Then he turned away, moving to his bed and settling into it.

Severus waited a moment, but that really did seem to be the end of it, and so he pushed himself away from the door and went to fetch his own sleepwear, feeling uneasy, but he forced himself to shake off the feeling. The vampire was gone for the time being, and Lupin hadn't manhandled him again, thus all was well. 

He hoped.

* * *

Despite his hurry to end the discussion with Severus, Remus found sleep elusive. It wasn't even so much the fact that the vampire they'd been seeking had managed to exert influence over him - he'd been partially aware of his own actions, even if he hadn't realized the source, and he'd been able to resist when it really mattered. No, for some reason the discovery that Severus was the offspring of a vampire was even more disturbing to him, leaving him staring at the ceiling of the room with his stomach twisted in knots and his mind turning the unbelievable information over and over, simply unable to assimilate it.

Yet it must be true, and it explained a great deal about Severus. There was even a word for the offspring of a vampire and a human, rare though the union was - Dhampir. Remus had only his knowledge of Dark Creatures to draw upon, but as he recalled Dhampir shared many of the strengths of their vampire sire and few of the weaknesses. They were fast and strong as vampires were, but they could survive in daylight and didn't have to drink blood to survive. They were also very appealing to werewolves, as were their undead sires, which he supposed explained part of the fascination he had always felt for Severus.

No doubt Severus had known what Remus was from day one on the Hogwart's Express, or not long afterward. Remus simply couldn't imagine Severus not making use of every advantage at his disposal, and Severus had even admitted that he'd known what Remus was that night in the Shack, even as he'd played the victim to the hilt. That left the question of whether Dumbledore had known as well; no doubt Severus would have been banned from Hogwarts the same way Remus would have been, which also begged the question of how many other cursed people Dumbledore had drawn in to his domain, and if he had used them in the same way he'd used Remus and Severus.

He kept turning questions over and over in his mind, and he must have fallen asleep at some point because he woke with a start to find the room bathed in sunlight, and he sat up in the bed, turning immediately to see if Severus were still in the room.

Severus might have been able to walk around in the sunlight without ill effect, but he didn't seem to be much of a morning person; that, or he had slept no better than Remus had, for he was still curled up in a tight, seemingly protective ball under the covers and showed no sign of stirring.

Sighing, Remus slid from his own bed, knowing he'd never be able to get back to sleep. He moved silently to the dresser, removing a set of clean clothing and collecting his towel. He needed more time to think anyway, to try to figure out what everything he'd learned meant, so he left the room and went to the bathroom, turning the water in the shower up as hot as he could stand it and standing under it with his teeth gritted. At least the heat of the water made him feel something that wasn't numb disbelief.

How could Severus have done it all these years? Remus was certainly familiar with having to hide ones secrets from the world, and Severus had plenty to hide even without being a Dhampir, but the way he'd treated Remus, the hatred and the lies and the contempt were even more cutting in retrospect. Rather than having sympathy for a fellow Dark Creature, Severus had ridiculed him and finally outed him. It was true that the curse of the position was acting upon him, but still, hadn't Remus managed to resist the direct orders of a vampire to harm Severus? It was more obvious than ever that Remus felt far more for Severus than Severus had ever felt for him, and that was depressing for reasons that Remus didn't want to examine too closely.

His skin was red and aching from the water, and Remus sighed, turning it off and reaching for his towel. He dressed slowly, then headed back to the room, feeling the urge to get this mission over and go back to what remained of his life. He didn't even care about the bloody damned vampire any longer; this mission had cost him dearly, and he simply wanted it to end so he could retreat somewhere and lick his wounds in peace.

Since it was getting late, he didn't bother to be quiet as he entered the room, although he didn't bang about unnecessarily, either. If Severus woke up, fine; the sooner he did the sooner they could get this mission over with.

But this time, there was no Severus-shaped lump in the other bed. Severus was up and making his bed, although the housekeeping staff of the bed and breakfast would have done it for him, and as soon as Remus entered the room, Severus left off and gathered up a bundle of clothes from a nearby chair. He gave Remus a furtive, sidelong look as he sidled by on his way to the door, but he didn't say anything.

The way Severus bent and stretched as he made up the bed reminded Remus suddenly and far to clearly of the way Severus' body had felt against his, even though he didn't want to remember it. He dropped his eyes as Severus glanced at him, wondering how in the hell he was going to get through this day.

"I guess I'll meet you downstairs when you're ready," he said, feeling the need to communicate in some way to escape from his own awkward thoughts. "What should we do now?"

Severus paused, but he didn't turn back to look at Remus. "I suppose we ought to see about finding the vampire's lair," he said in a low voice.

"All right," Remus agreed, wondering why Severus suddenly seemed so uncomfortable. "Do you have any preference about where we start? Back to the caves, or that farmhouse we were at?"

"I doubt it will return to the farmhouse," Severus replied. "It must realize that hideout is compromised. We should look elsewhere. The caves might merit another look. We could ask if there are any other notable isolated, deserted areas that might serve."

"Makes sense," Remus agreed. He couldn't remember things between them ever feeling quite this stilted; usually there was anger or snarkiness or _something_ , not this almost unnatural reasonableness. For some reason it irritated his wolf all out of proportion, and he had to tamp down on his cursed half's sudden desire to push Severus against the wall or tumble him to the bed to get _some_ reaction out of him. "We should probably check with the Healer, too, to make sure no one else has been killed. After last night, he might have taken someone in vengeance. I should have thought of that earlier."

"Very well. I will meet you downstairs in a few minutes, and we can visit her first," Severus said as he resumed his progress toward the door.

"Right." There didn't seem to be much else Remus could say, so he moved toward the door in Severus' wake, intending to head downstairs to find something to eat while Severus showered.

Severus disappeared into the loo quickly without another word, as if he was eager to make an escape, but if he was indeed trying to avoid Remus, he didn't use bathing and dressing as an excuse to linger; he was downstairs within fifteen minutes, dressed, his skin appearing freshly scrubbed and smelling faintly of soap, and his short hair still damp. The wolf informed Remus that Severus looked "lickable", and Remus groaned silently to himself, furious at his cursed half for being as fascinated by Severus as ever.

Remus had managed a piece of toast and a cup of tea, unable to face anything else. He gestured toward the tea tray he'd assembled. "Care for a cup before we go?" he asked, wondering why he was bothering with the niceties when really all he wanted to do was to get this over with as soon as he could. 

For a moment, Severus hesitated, as if he was considering a refusal, but perhaps his need for fortification overruled whatever misgivings he had, and he nodded. He prepared a cup of tea for himself - one lump of sugar, nothing more - and ignored the toast in favor of sipping his tea.

If Remus didn't know Severus better he'd almost think Severus was pensive, but such weakness simply wasn't something he'd ever associated with Severus. No doubt he was simply saving up some scathing comment to bite Remus' head off with, but for some reason Remus felt the urge to draw Severus out. "How difficult do you think our quarry will be to destroy?" he asked, sitting back in his chair in an attempt to appear less tense than he felt. "I know he appears young, but I also know that doesn't mean anything. But he didn't take you on - do you think he's afraid of you?" He carefully didn't mention why the vampire would be afraid of Severus; Dhampir were supposed to be vampire slayers, but no one around them needed to know that.

"Perhaps," Severus replied neutrally as he perched in a chair, his posture stiff. "I think it is more likely that he was taken aback when you resisted his control and wanted time to regroup and attempt to regain the upper hand."

"Ah." Remus sipped his own tea to cover his discomfiture with the reminder of what he'd done the previous night. He'd sensed the call of the vampire without knowing what it was; it was almost as though he had been sleep walking while obeying that silent summons. The vampire had been dreamlike to him, and while his wolf had recognized the creature for what it was, it hadn't felt any particular pull of attraction, simply a mindless desire to obey. But when he'd been ordered to harm Severus, things had changed abruptly. His wolf's passive desire to please the vampire had changed to hostility and rage that the vampire had dared try to order him to harm Severus. There had definitely been possessiveness in the wolf's feelings, and it had been the wolf rather than Remus who had snarled the denial. Or perhaps it had been both of them.

"I hope you believe that I wouldn't have hurt you, no matter what he tried to make me do," he blurted out, suddenly needing Severus to know that he wasn't a danger to him. "I felt like I was sleep walking, until he told me to hurt you. Then everything changed."

Severus set down his cup and pushed it aside with slow and careful motions, and he didn't _quite_ look at Remus as he spoke. "From what I understand, even a weak vampire exerts considerable influence over werewolves. It is no little accomplishment for you to have resisted his control."

The words were almost complimentary, and Remus held his breath, part of him instinctively waiting for a continuance that would set him back in his place. When none came he bit his lip, then smiled hesitantly. Perhaps Severus wasn't going to make the rest of this mission as difficult as Remus had feared. "Perhaps he didn't really know what he was doing," Remus said, shrugging slightly. There was no way he could admit what had really happened, which was that the lupine half of Remus considered Severus _his_ , and therefore would defend him rather than harm him, no matter who tried to make him. "But now that I'm aware of what's happening, I don't think he'll even be able to try again. I may not have your mental talents, but I'm not without some ability of my own."

"Awareness of the possibility and preparing for it does offer some defense." Severus drained his cup and rose to his feet. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Remus rose, surprised at his own reluctance to be getting on with their mission. His resolution of only an hour before seemed to have worn down, and he was annoyed at himself for still seeming to value Severus' opinion even after everything. But Severus didn't share his feelings, and Remus knew it was for the best to get this finished so they could go their separate ways. "It's late enough that the Healer should be up and about, so let's go."

"Right." Severus retrieved his coat and shrugged into it, wrapping himself up in its folds like he was donning armor, and he buried his hands deep in the pockets. "Ready when you are."

Remus nodded, and turned for the door, not wanting to let his gaze dwell too long on the sight of Severus in that coat. For some reason it appealed to him in a way he didn't want to think too closely about, so he concentrated on what they needed to do. As they exited the inn, he fell into step beside Severus. "Do you think there is any use in trying to convince her that it really is a vampire?" he asked. "Or do we play it as though it still might be Death Eaters? If we get insistent about the vampire aspect she might be less cooperative."

"I see no reason to mention the vampire yet." Severus' long legs ate up the distance between the bed and breakfast and the healer's as he strode down the street. "It will likely be easier for us if we continue the Death Eaters story and reveal the truth once the vampire is either dead or in custody."

"All right," Remus said, nodding in agreement. It took only a few minutes for them to reach the Healer's, and he didn't hesitate to knock on the door. Within a few moments the Healer opened it and peered out at them, raising a brow.

"Inspectors," she greeted them, looking between them anxiously. "Is there anything wrong?"

"We were rather hoping you could tell us that," Remus answered with a reassuring smile. "Or rather, we are hoping you'll be telling us that there isn't anything wrong. Were there any attacks last night to your knowledge?"

"No, none," she replied slowly, then closed her eyes for a moment and sighed as though in relief. Then she opened them again and looked between the two of them. "But I did hear from a patient of mine that they saw some activity at one of the caves last night. Not one in the main cluster, a separate one that was part of an old pre-Roman temple. Or so I'm told; I've not been in it myself. But supposedly the place is haunted, and I imagine it would make a good hiding place because no one ever goes near it, not even the most adventurous of the youngsters."

Remus raised a brow and looked at Severus. "That sounds interesting, don't you think?"

"It sounds like a possible lead," Severus replied. "We were going to investigate the caves anyway. We might as well start there."

"I can take you there," the Healer offered immediately, stepping out of her house and point down the road in the direction of the caves. "It's a little tricky to find, since it's set off from the path a ways. I know where it is because there are herbs which grow nearby that I need for various healing poultices. It'll be faster for me to show you than to even try to draw a map!"

Surprised, Remus smiled, pleased with the offer of assistance. "Thank you," he said, stepping back courteously so that the Healer could go past him. "We appreciate your help."

Glancing at Severus, he fell in behind the Healer, who walked briskly along, obviously used to vigorous exercise. Remus smiled slightly to himself, thinking of how he'd gotten out of the habit of taking long walks in the last year, and he missed it. It also gave him a chance to glance at Severus and watch how his long coat billowed slightly with his long strides.

Severus kept up easily with the brisk pace, his expression still pensive, bordering on grim; he seemed fixed on the path ahead, and he didn't return Remus' regard or give any voice to his thoughts, not even to grumble, complain, or snark.

The very silence was disturbing, and Remus' smile faded, a line of worry forming between his eyes. He'd never known Severus to be like this, and all he could think was that Severus simply wanted to get the mission over and get away from him as quickly as possible. Perhaps he was disturbed that Remus knew his secret, maybe even worried that Remus would spread it about in retaliation. Which Remus wouldn't do, no matter what. Even if Severus had treated him with hypocrisy, Remus didn't feel the need to pay him back in kind. 

The Healer had drawn a little ahead, and so Remus used the opportunity to step closer to Severus, speaking in a low voice that he knew Severus, as a Dhampir, would be able to hear. "If you are worried that I'm going to tell people what you are, I promise you I won't. It's not my place to say anything, and I have no intention of doing so."

Severus glanced sidelong at him and gave a brief nod. "Thank you," he said, keeping his voice low as well.

"Right," Remus acknowledged, hoping that he'd managed to lighten Severus' mood a bit. If not, well, he'd done what he could; there simply was no way to tell with Severus sometimes.

They had left the village behind and entered the woods, the path becoming narrower and more treacherous as they wove among the trees. Remus had to watch his footing while trying to keep up with the Healer, and after several long minutes he was quite happy when she stopped, pointing toward a small, dark opening set in the side of a rocky hill.

"There it is," she said, drawing her wand and lighting it with a soft "Lumos!" before smiling crookedly at them. "I won't be offended if one of you wishes to go first."

Drawing his wand, Severus lit it as well and stepped forward. "I'll go," he said tersely, even as he began making his way up the hill to the entrance of the cave without looking back to see if anyone else was accompanying him.

Of course Remus followed him, drawing his own wand and staying close on Severus' heels. He smiled over his shoulder at the Healer. "Don't worry, we'll make sure nothing hurts you," he said reassuringly. She smiled in return, and Remus returned his attention to Severus, hoping that the vampire hadn't had time to arrange too many nasty surprises for them if he was actually inside the cave.


	7. Chapter 7

For the first time in his life, Severus was glad to be descended from a vampire. Without the enhanced night vision his parentage had bestowed on him, he would have been trapped in utter darkness, blind and more or less helpless. At least he had been able to see well enough to dig Lupin out of the rubble and drag him to safety. Relative safety, at least. They were alive, but trapped, and Lupin was still unconscious after having taken a rock to the head during the cave in. 

Severus had little else to do but wait for Lupin to wake up, and so he leaned against the cool rock wall, tucked his knees beneath his chin, and wrapped his arms around his legs, releasing a slow, quiet sigh as he tried to figure out a way out of this mess.

After a short time, there was a groan and the sound of movement as Lupin sat up, a hand to his head. Just as his parentage gave him certain abilities, Lupin's curse had given him some as well, including the ability to get his skull bashed in and still keep breathing. He could hear Lupin's respiration speed up with alarm as the grim reality of their situation slowly dawned on him.

"We're trapped," Lupin said, his tone flat. "I suppose if there was a quick and easy way out you'd have already found it, right?"

"Yes," Severus replied, his voice equally flat. "The Healer led us into a trap. There are anti-magic wards around this area. We cannot Apparate out. I haven't been able to use so much as a _lumos_."

"So she has been in the vampire's thrall all along," Lupin replied, sighing deeply. "No wonder she didn't look beyond the obvious in the autopsies. A perfect cover for the vampire, to have the local Healer blaming his kills on the Killing Curse." Lupin moved again, running a hand along the pile of rocks. "We were pretty deep in the cave when the cave-in happened. Have you any sense for how much came down? Felt any drafts?"

"No." Severus shook his head and then rested his chin on his knees. "No drafts, no moving air whatsoever. We're sealed in tight. What air we have in here is all we have."

"Oh." For once even Lupin's eternal optimism seemed to falter. Then he drew in a deep breath and stood, nearly bashing his head again on the low ceiling. Then, stooping slightly, he began to make a slow circle of the cave, pausing every few feet to try to get his wand to illuminate, obviously testing to see if they just happened to be at the edge of the anti-magic field the vampire had used to keep them trapped.

Severus watched his progression without comment; he didn't bother to point out that he had done the same thing while Lupin was unconscious since no doubt it would better satisfy Lupin to let him do it himself. "Find anything?" he asked, even though he knew the answer.

With a sigh Lupin sat down not far from Severus, dusting off his hands and then running them through his hair. "No, unfortunately. I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, you'd missed something, as unlikely as that would be. But I had to try, just in case." He fell silent for a moment. "So... what do we do now? Try to hold on until Albus misses us? Dig our way out?"

"Unless werewolves have exemplary digging ability that I am unaware of, I doubt that will work." Severus shrugged and grimaced. "I also doubt we'll survive long enough for Dumbledore to get around to searching for us." 

Lupin gave a small hum of acknowledgement, then reached into his pocket and pulled out, of all things, a sheet of parchment and a quill. "Which of us has better dark vision?" he asked, a tiny smile curving his lips. "We ought to at least write down what we know, in case Dumbledore does look for us. I don't want to die, but more than that I don't want this bastard getting away with it, if there's anything we can do."

"Mine is probably better," Severus replied, holding out his hand for the writing tools. "My kind function primarily after dark, after all."

"True enough," Lupin replied, handing over the parchment and quill. "I can see decently well in the dark, but my sense of smell is better." Hands empty, he seemed at a loss for a moment, then he folded them in his lap. "What are you going to write?"

"The facts," Severus replied tersely as he stretched out his legs and flattened the parchment on his thigh. "That the murders were committed by a vampire, the proof, and a description of the murderer. What did you expect me to write?"

"I don't know," Lupin said slowly, his voice dropping. He was looking down at his hands his hair falling forward over his shoulder. He looked almost defensive, as though the reality of the situation were catching up with him at last. "I never gave much thought to last words before. I guess I never thought anyone would much care what I had to say."

"No more than they would care about my last words," Severus said, bending over as he wrote down what they had learned. "If you want to add some sort of epitaph, fine. I have nothing to say to anyone."

"Really?" There was surprise in Lupin's tone. "No regrets? No final goodbyes? Not even a final wishing of someone to perdition?"

"What is the point?" Severus looked up, his voice laced with annoyance as he spoke. "No one will give a damn anyway, and having the last word loses some of its impact when you die under circumstances like these. It would be different if I were going out in a blaze of glory, but obviously I am not."

Lupin was quiet at that for a moment, hands twisting in his lap. "Until recently I thought maybe someone might care if I died, but I was wrong. Maybe I'm just selfish, but it hurts to know that nothing I did ever really mattered. I was wrong far more often than I was right, and it even turns out that a lot of things I thought were true were just lies."

Severus shrugged and turned his attention back to the parchment, finishing his notes before replying. "Black will care, I'm sure," he said, a hint of acid in his voice. "As for the rest, it's your own fault for waiting too late to grow a spine."

"I'm not sure what Sirius will feel," Lupin said, shrugging as well. "Prison damaged him, which is no big surprise, given theDementors . As for growing a spine... well, that's your opinion, of course. As someone who has lived a lie just as long as I have, certainly you have to know that protecting yourself can become an obsession. We simply had different methods; I tried to never anger anyone so that they would ignore me. You seemed to go out of your way to anger everyone so they would avoid you."

"Unlike you, I don't give a damn what anyone thinks of me," Severus retorted, drawing himself up proudly. "I also never failed to act on my convictions. I made mistakes, but failing to act was not one of them."

"True." Lupin's voice was soft as he made the admission, tinged with regret. "Yet here we both are, together, dying alone together. Both of us used by the same man for his own purposes, both victim of the same killer. I suppose there isn't any way to count up the points and determine who won, is there? I suppose we'll simply have to settle for a draw."

"What do you want me to say, Lupin?" Severus snapped, annoyance making his temper flare, and he flung the quill back at Lupin. "That you're right? That I'm no better than you are, that I'm worse? Fine! You're right, and you win, because at least people think you are nice and good, while I am clearly not a good man, and vampires are worse than werewolves. Are you happy now?"

"No." Lupin let the quill bounce off his shoulder, not even trying to catch it. "And I don't win, because really, you're right. What does being good and nice matter in the end? You may hate Harry but you've done more to help him in the last few years than I've done for him his whole life. At least people respect your abilities and acknowledge you are damned good at what you do. Me? I dispense chocolate and platitudes and tea like some maiden aunt. In the end, at least what you did made a difference. I'm basically a footnote, and it's my own fault. As far as your heritage, you're not a vampire, so you can't be cast in the same light they are, whereas I am just as dangerous as you've always claimed. If I could give up my life now to save yours, I wouldn't hesitate. At least you matter."

Severus stared at Lupin, momentarily stunned into silence. He couldn't remember anyone ever saying he mattered before; quite the opposite, he had always been treated as if he didn't matter, as if he was merely tolerated because he was useful. Dumbledore wanted him to spy on the Dark Lord, and the Dark Lord wanted to use him because of his heritage. 

"Why would you say that?" He shook his head in bewilderment. "You don't like me. You think I'm a bad man and that my kind are blood-sucking parasites." He thought back to the interlude in the barn and how Lupin had taken him just to teach him a lesson. "You used me just like everyone else," he added with a trace of bitterness in his voice.

Lupin was silent for a moment, then he sighed, apparently understanding Severus' reference. "I apologize for that," he said, and his voice sounded tired. "But only for letting my temper and the wolf get the better of me. You know very well that you goaded me, and you also are quite aware that you could have stopped me anytime you wanted. You are just as strong as I am, and with being aDhampir , you could have even tried to exert control over me the way the vampire did. Other than that..." Lupin's voice dropped lower, taking on a husky edge. "I think it's pointless now to deny that you've always fascinated me, and at one time I had more than a small desire that we could be friends. Especially when I came back to Hogwarts to teach; I thought that we could put the past behind us, considering how much both of us had lost in the last twenty years. But between the curse using you and your hatred of me, it was never going to happen. I didn't dislike you up until you outed me, actually. I was always grateful for the Wolfsbane potion, because I knew that if you'd really wanted to kill me you could have done so with it and made it look like an accident or even my own fault."

"I don't deny goading you, although I never imagined provoking you would result in _that_ ," Severus admitted grudgingly, drawing up his knees and wrapping his arms around himself protectively again. "Revealing my strength would have meant revealing my secret, and I refuse to use my power to control anyone, even you. It is too much like theImperius Curse, and..." He trailed off and shook his head, not wanting to elaborate further. He wanted control over _himself_ and his own life, but he had no desire to use anyone as his own personal puppet; it would make him no better than those who controlled him. "At any rate, you are correct: I could have killed you at any time, but I have never hated anyone enough to attempt murder. Only Black can make that claim."

"I don't think Sirius intended that you be killed, only frightened, but he was wrong to do what he did, regardless," Lupin said. He moved, sliding over so that he could rest his back against the same wall Severus was, and tilted his head back against it with a tired sigh. "I never wanted to use my strength against anyone, either," he continued. "I know I have a capacity for darkness and violence, and to be honest it scares the pure living hell out of me. I shouldn't have let myself get out of control the way I did with you. I know I never could have killed you or turned you, but I could have hurt you badly, and that's not something I have any desire to do."

"I suppose some of it had to do with our respective natures," Severus mused, speaking more to himself than to Lupin. "If I were fully human, I doubt you - the wolf, rather - would have reacted the same way, much less as strongly as it did to the provocation." He paused, considering his next words carefully. "You didn't violate me, so you needn't worry I ever intended to accuse you of attacking me. I didn't like being used, that's all. I get enough of that from Dumbledore and _Him_. I didn't need it from you as well. Anyway, you wanted to teach me a lesson, and I learned it. Even if we survive this somehow, I will not attempt to provoke you further. I am _quite_ clear on how you feel about me and where I stand."

Lupin turned his head. "Do you?" he asked. "I suspect that you think you know, but for once you're probably wrong. But I'm glad you don't feel violated. I wouldn't want you to feel that way. But I don't like you feeling used, either. I know that you've had a worse time than any of us in this war except maybe Sirius, since at least you weren't inAzkaban . You've definitely done more, however, than anyone should have had to do. I don't know if anyone else appreciates it, but I do. What you've done takes great courage, Severus. I think in some ways you're the bravest man I've ever met."

Despite his determination not to be provoking, Severus couldn't repress a loud snort of derision at that. "Has the lack of oxygen already started to affect your brain? We may be trapped and likely to die here, but you needn't try to make my last hours better by trying to blow smoke up my arse."

"I'm not blowing smoke up your arse. I don't need to, since we're likely to die soon," Lupin answered, his tone amused. "You don't seem to accept compliments any better than you do criticism, but I suppose that's just part of what makes you Severus. To prove to you I'm not addled, I still don't think you're a nice man - but being nice isn't the be all and end all of existence." He fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, his voice more pensive. "Look, Severus... I know you despise me, but for what it's worth I meant it when I said I had hoped we'd find a way past our history when I came back to Hogwarts. I also didn't really mean what I said about vampires - part of why I lashed out was that you were defending them so staunchly when you'd always called werewolves monsters, and... it hurt. No one has ever made me feel as bad about my condition as you have, but part of that is because you've always been one of the few people whose real, true opinion has seemed to matter to me."

"Why?" The question was out before Severus could even think to censor it; he could scarcely imagine his opinion mattering to anyone, much less to Lupin, and he couldn't hide his bewilderment.

"I suppose part of it has to do with our natures," Lupin admitted. "Even though I didn't know you were a Dhampir I suppose the wolf sensed it. But it's more than that. You always seemed so independent, so sure of yourself, and I envied that. And you were obviously more intelligent than almost anyone else in our year, maybe even than anyone else at Hogwarts at that time. I thought... I thought we might have a lot in common. I think part of it was the darkness in me recognizing and wanting to reach out to the darkness in you."

"Is that why you attempted to subdue me in the manner you did?" Severus asked, curious despite himself. Under normal circumstances, he would have shied away from such topics, but considering the likelihood of surviving was slim, he supposed there was no harm in pursuing unsafe topics, despite how exposed he might become in the process. "Is there more to it than having something in common?"

There was silence for a moment, as though Lupin were contemplating his answer. "I suppose lying is pointless, considering we're no going to get out of this," he said. "For what it's worth, I've always been attracted to you. I never acted on it, at least not until you goaded me. I didn't think there was much point, considering your opinion of me. But more than that, yes... I don't know whether the wolf was acting on my desires or I was acting on its, or if there's even a way to separate the two. I know you probably don't care to hear it, but my wolf considers you to belong to it now. And I can't help but finding myself wishing, even as much as you hate me, that you really did want me."

"You're right: I don't care to hear it," Severus muttered. "Not because I hate you. My opinion of you has... undergone some revision during this mission," he said carefully. "But because I already belong to two men. I don't want to be shackled to a third." He rubbed his wrists absently, as if feeling phantom bonds. "Yet if the wolf has already claimed me, I suppose it is too late."

"I see." Lupin's tone was soft. "Well that makes your position clear enough. I suppose it doesn't really matter now anyway." He shrugged, then looked away from Severus. "I guess we shouldn't talk anymore. We're using up our air, and I suppose I've said more than enough."

Scowling, Severus slammed his fist uselessly against the stone floor. "I do not want to die now and certainly not here! My life might not be much, but I do not want to relinquish it yet. Think, Lupin! Surely there is something we can do to get out of this." 

Lupin raised a hand to his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as though he were getting a headache. "I suppose we could start moving rocks, if you want to," he said reluctantly. But since enough of them have fallen to seal off all the air, I suspect we'll expire before we move enough to get out. But it's better than just sitting here, I guess." He sighed, rising to his feet. "I suppose it's better than if it were an earthen hill; in that case we'd probably just have been buried under dirt and unable to do anything."

Severus jumped to his feet, Lupin's comment jogging his memory, and he hurried over to the far wall, reaching out to touch it lightly. Dirt crumbled away beneath his fingertips, and he glanced back at Lupin. "This wall is made of dirt, not rock," he said. "I remember noting the difference earlier while you were unconscious. I was looking for loose stones or possible air passages, however, not bare earth."

"Really?" Lupin's eyes widened in the darkness, and he moved to stand beside Severus, reaching out to brush his fingers over the wall as well. He drew in a startled breath. "I wonder if this cave is only partly natural, unlike the others we were in. Didn't the Healer say this had been a temple? Some of the early cultures in Britain built temples with stone and then covered them with earth. Perhaps if there was a large, open back to this one it was covered up to make an enclosed space. If people didn't come here often, I suppose after a time no one would even know that this one was different from the others."

"What are you saying?" Severus demanded. "Could there be an open space on the other side of this wall?" He flattened his palm against the earth wall as he stared at it, faint hope blooming within him. "Could we dig our way out?"

"Maybe..." Lupin pushed against the dirt, which crumbled but didn't give way. "It depends on a lot of things - whether I'm right, and if so, how big of a mound they made. And, of course, we'll have to be careful not to bring it down on our heads if so. Still, there's no guarantee that we won't run into rock, that this is just dirt hauled in here for some unfathomable purpose. But it's a better shot than dealing with all those rocks, I suppose. I wouldn't be surprised if the vampire had collapsed the entire tunnel all the way back to the entrance just to keep us in here." 

Reaching out, Lupin scraped a handful of dirt from the wall. It was packed hard, but he managed it by digging in his nails, prying out the soil with a small grunt. Holding it up, he met Severus' eyes. "Dhampir and werewolf... I'd trade almost anything for us both to be groundhogs at the moment. Shall we get started, then?"

It didn't take much effort for Severus to muster the heightened emotional state needed to bring about the few physical changes he was capable of, and he held up his hands to reveal sharp claws. "We can take turns," he said, giving Lupin a brief flash of his fangs. "Some of the smaller rocks might help loosen the dirt as well."

He saw Lupin's eyes widen, and Lupin's breath caught as he stared at Severus' mouth, seeming fascinated by the fangs. Lupin swallowed and then licked his lips, an obvious indication of fascination rather than repulsion. "Right. Rocks," he murmured, then seemed to pull himself together. "I can bash, if you can dig with those claws. Unfortunately the full moon isn't for over a week, and I can't change at will as you apparently can - being able to dig like a wolf right now would actually be handy."

Turning away, Lupin searched for a pointed rock, hefting it in his hand. Then he stabbed it at the wall, burying it again and again to loosen the dirt. "I suggest we dig upward as much as we can," he said, angling his jabs accordingly. "That way there is less to come down on us if it does collapse, and a slight cave in might actually help."

Nodding, Severus set about scooping out the dirt Lupin had loosened with the rock and trying to widen the hole with his fingers; his heart raced with adrenaline and excitement at the thought of escaping their underground prison, making it easy to sustain the changes. 

"I know what monsters vampires can be," he said after several minutes of working in silence, feeling the need to revisit something Lupin had said. "I also know my father wasn't a monster, even though he was a vampire, albeit one from a diluted bloodline or I wouldn't be here. That's why I was defensive." He paused, and then he added grudgingly, his voice low and husky, "For the record, I don't really think werewolves are monsters. I didn't want you to realize the truth about me, and that seemed like the easiest way to keep you at a safe distance."

Lupin was breathing hard as well as he continued to bash at the dirt with determination. He seemed to consider Severus' words, however, and when he spoke again, his tone held curiosity. "Did it ever occur to you that we could have helped one another?" he asked, giving Severus a quick, sidelong glance. "Surely you must have realized that I was probably just as alone and defensive as you were. Was it because I was in a different House?"

"No, it was because you had your dear friends, and you gave no indication of being willing to stand up to them on my account," Severus retorted, shooting Lupin an aggrieved look. "Why in Merlin's name do you think I would be foolish enough to risk revealing myself to you when you wouldn't even say 'boo' when they dangled me upside down and showed my underpants to everyone? You didn't seem alone from my perspective, and you damned well didn't appear to need any help from me."

"They didn't figure out I was a werewolf until third year," Lupin replied. He kept his eyes on what he was doing. "Until then I didn't really consider them friends; they were my roommates who might find out what I was and get me kicked out of the school, so I was very, very careful never to anger them, to always be agreeable. Then when they told me they knew, and they didn't care, it was... well, it was unbelievable. I had never even imagined that anyone would accept me after they knew what I was, much less _like_ me, and at that point I was so desperate to feel _normal_ that I was almost giddy with relief. I didn't try to stop them harassing you before that simply because I was scared they'd turn on me. Afterward... well, I guess I still didn't want them to turn on me. I hated what they were doing to you, but I felt powerless to stop it. They had power over me in ways that I couldn't really explain back then. Hogwarts was all that I had in my life; if I'd lost it I didn't know what would happen to me. By the time of that particular incident, I guess staying silent had become habit. My lycanthropy was a terrible secret to bear, and even though they were my friends, I suppose I never felt it was an equal relationship. You know how hotheaded Sirius was, and how he used me to try to hurt you without even any thought of what might happen to me if I'd bitten you; that drove home to me that my secret was safe with them only so long as I stayed agreeable to them. As it was... well, I think the matter of how they really felt about me was driven home when they made Peter the Secret Keeper, and never even told me. I was a friend... but I wasn't trusted because of what I was."

Although Severus focused intently on helping Lupin dig and scoop, he listened intently as well, and some of what Lupin had to say resonated with him more than he expected. "Welcome to my world," he said dryly. "I am already viewed with distrust because I was once a loyal Death Eater. It would be worse if my true nature was known. _He_ knew. That was why he wanted me. I thought he recognized my talent for potions and creating spells, but no, he was simply trying to swell the ranks of his followers with powerful Dark creatures." He shrugged with more insouciance than he actually felt. "At any rate, I had no way of knowing your situation. From my perspective, you lot appeared quite cozy and chummy indeed, and I had no reason to think I could trust you, which is why I never approached you."

"Why _did_ you join the Dark Lord?" Lupin asked. He stopped his digging for a moment to wipe sweat from his forehead with the back of a hand. "You were the best at potions, and good at everything else you did. You could have been anything you wanted. What did _He_ offer you that was so tempting? What could be so important to you that it made up for what you must have known he was doing?"

Severus stared grimly at the wall and worked in silence for a long moment before answering at last, his voice low and tight. "Acceptance," he muttered. "Recognition. I was young, stupid, and desperate for attention. My father was a vampire, my grandfather was a tyrant, and my headmaster was biased in favor of his golden Gryffindors, even when one of them tried to kill me. Is it any wonder I latched on to a twisted father figure?" he asked, regarding Lupin with grim amusement.

"No, not really," Lupin said, returning to his bashing with the start stone. "Acceptance is why I didn't stand up against Sirius, James, and Peter, so yes, I understand. I also latched on to Dumbledore as a father figure for the same reason; I never thought I'd get to go to Hogwarts at all, and he did all these things just for me. But in some ways he is just as ruthless as the Dark Lord. He didn't hesitate to use me when he needed to, even knowing that I could have been killed. He didn't even bother to tell me there was a possibility."

"Of course not." Severus sneered as he began digging with greater fervor, resentment of Dumbledore spurring him on. "I wouldn't be surprised if the man sees this as one giant game of chess with the rest of us as pieces to be moved about and sacrificed as needed."

"Neither would I." Lupin's voice was flat, empty, the tone obviously covering a great deal of hurt. He pounded at the wall vigorously, a sound somewhat like a growl seeming to rumble in his chest. "If we manage to get out of this, I think I'm going to have Things To Say to him. Things he probably won't like at all."

"Fine, then use that as incentive," Severus replied with a snort, using his own anger to lend strength and endurance to his efforts as he began clawing harder at the dirt, more determined than ever to get out of the damned cave alive. 

Apparently Lupin took Severus' advice, for he redoubled his efforts. They had made a very large indentation in the wall, nearly a meter deep, standing on the growing pile of dirt as they dug upward. Lupin smashed again at the dirt, then stopped abruptly, frowning at the hole. "I felt something harder," he said, reaching up with a bare hand. "I hope we aren't hitting stone."

Severus reached up as well and felt his elongated nails scrape against something hard, and he tried to scrape the dirt away from whatever impediment they had encountered. "No," he said, awash in relief when he realized what the obstacle was. "It isn't stone. It's wood. I can feel the edge of it. I think it must be reinforcement." 

Lupin blew out a breath of relief, and then chuckled breathlessly. "Then we were right!" he said. "This must be an artificial addition to the cave. We shouldn't have too much further to go!"

"Thank Merlin," Severus muttered, scarcely able to believe that they had indeed found an escape route when death had seemed so certain not long before. Of course, survival meant they would go back to their lives even after having said some rather... interesting things to one another. He peeked sidelong at Lupin, assessing him in light of new knowledge and understanding. Perhaps Lupin wasn't as much of a rug as he'd thought. Perhaps Lupin could be trusted. Perhaps... perhaps belonging to a werewolf wouldn't be as bad as being the pawn of two single-minded chess players. Perhaps, he thought speculatively, he ought to try provoking Lupin again. 

But not until they were truly free and clear, he thought as he began digging again, working around the timber in hopes of soon breaking through.

Lupin worked beside him, both of them in the narrow space. Lupin's breathing was harsh and labored, a reminder that the air was running out swiftly. Lupin had abandoned his rock, digging with his bare hands, dirt now raining down upon his head as he reached up higher along the timber. Then he gasped as a large amount of dirt came tumbling down. "Air!" he gasped, but he didn't seem to mean he needed air because he was grinning like a lunatic. "My hand is out in air!"

Severus let out a bark of laughter, a sound unfamiliar even to his own ears. "Then keep digging," he ordered, redoubling his own efforts until he too broke through, feeling cool open space on his bare hand at last.

"We did it!" Lupin was laughing too, reaching up with both hands, dirt pouring down on him. "Hang on, I think I can get it," he said, biting his lip in concentration. He wrapped both hands around the beam and began to pull himself upward, tucking in his head and pressing his shoulder against the top of the hole. He growled with the effort, and when he looked down his eyes seemed to glow for a moment as though the wolf within him were rising up, lending its strength to their desperate struggle to survive. Then he broke through, and a rush of cool air flowed downward as Lupin scrambled upward, then out of Severus' sight.

There was natural light now, and Lupin, apparently lying on his stomach on the ground, looked down into the hole and reached down to offer Severus a hand. "We did it!" he repeated, his teeth very white in a face that was almost completely black with caked dirt. "Come on, slowpoke! Do you want to stay down there forever?"

Severus clasped Lupin's hand and clambered up to push himself through the hole, greedily gulping the fresh air. He collapsed on his stomach, weak with relief as the reality of how close they had come to death crashed down on him; he wasn't ready to die, not when he had never really lived on his own terms, and he longed for the war to be over and to be free of his two demanding masters, at least for a little while, before death claimed him at last. Besides, they still had a murderer to catch, and Merlin only knew what kind of trouble Potter would get into once classes resumed at Hogwarts if Severus wasn't there to rescue him from his own folly. No, Severus had a job to do, and he wouldn't be able to rest until he had seen it through.


	8. Chapter 8

Severus rolled over and sat up, regarding Lupin sardonically. "Amazing," he drawled, deciding now was as good a time as any to start poking Lupin again. "It seems you aren't entirely useless after all."

Lupin was sitting up, regarding him with his head tilted to one side. He was completely filthy, dirt and sweat caked all over him. Apparently the giddy relief of their escape hadn't worn off yet, for he just smiled at Severus' slight taunt. "I do aim to please," he replied, then pulled his wand out of his back pocket. He tried a "Scourgify!", which didn't work. "Damn, the magic dampening field is big! Looks like we'll have to walk until we're free of it." 

Still smiling, he moved toward Severus and held out his hand again in an offer to help Severus up. "It's getting late, we must have been in there for hours. The vampire will be rising soon. Do we want to stake him tonight, or wait until tomorrow?"

Severus clasped Lupin's hand again and allowed Lupin to help him up, and then he made a fastidious attempt to brush dirt off his clothes and skin. "Likely the Healer will inform him that we are trapped when he rises. Now is the ideal time to prepare an ambush, while he expects to find us helpless, perhaps already dead. If we waste this opportunity, we might not get another one."

"Do you think he'll come back here to check on us himself?" Lupin frowned down at the hole, then looked about at their location. They seemed to be on a slope, one which no doubt ascended to the top of the cave entrance where the Healer had led them, while downhill was a small river. "We could disguise this hole, although I suspect the vampire didn't realize the back was shored up rather than natural. Then we could wait at the entrance, if theantimagic field doesn't extend that far, and get him when he comes back!"

"Even without magic, having the element of surprise will work in our favor." Severus scrounged up some underbrush and dumped it around the hole to conceal it; the guise wouldn't hold up under close scrutiny, but he doubted they had to worry about that. "There," he said, dusting off his hands and giving Lupin a look of self-satisfaction. "Now let's scout around the entrance for a decent vantage point."

"Right," Lupin replied, nodding. "In fact, staying grimy will help us hide." He started off up the slope, glancing from side to side as if to scout for danger. "I don't like killing as a general rule, but I must admit I'm more than ready to make an exception in the case of this particular bastard. I think if the two of us work together we will be able to bring him down quickly."

"Staking isn't our only option," Severus said as he followed Lupin back up the slope, keeping a watchful eye and ear for anyone or anything behind them. "Decapitation will suffice, as will setting him alight. You have strength, and I have speed. I suggest we play to our respective strengths and decide on how we intend to dispatch him before he gets here. I prefer a method that will leave the body intact so we will have physical proof, but if that isn't possible, so be it."

"Decapitation is hard unless we can transfigure a sword or an axe," Lupin replied thoughtfully. "Perhaps if I held him while you staked him? Or I could hide on the top of the cave entrance and drop a boulder on him, then we could dispatch him?"

"Dropping a boulder on him might cause too much splatter," Severus pointed out pragmatically. "It might be best if you grab him and hold him down, and I will stake him. Finding a suitable piece of wood ought not be difficult."

"In the forest? I'd nope not!" Lupin smiled and nodded. "Right, no splat. So we can array ourselves so that I can get close enough to grab him, hold him in front of me so that you can drive in the stake." They made the top of the hill, looking down on the area where they'd entered the cave. "This is a good perspective; where do you suggest we plant ourselves?"

"Anywhere that allows us to see him, but doesn't allow him to see us." Severus glanced around, searching for a likely place to take cover, and he pointed to a dense cluster of trees. "What about there?"

Lupin glanced in the direction Severus indicated, then nodded. "That should work," he said. "We just have to make sure we don't leave footprints coming _out_ of the cave. So we need to go down along the side there and circle out and back. He might not be smart enough to consider the possibility that we've escaped, but there is no sense taking chances."

"No, not when he has excellent night vision," Severus agreed. As much as he wanted to needle Lupin, now wasn't really the time, and besides, it was difficult to offer provocation when Lupin was being sensible. "Come on, then. Let's get into position," he said as he set off on a round-about path to their destination.

"Right." Lupin followed in his wake, moving carefully. He didn't speak again until they'd made it to the tree cluster. "I think this will do," he said, nodding in satisfaction. "So we settle in, and when he shows up when just strike?"

"Right." Severus settled down comfortably to wait. "Move quickly and don't hesitate. If we miss this chance, there is no way of knowing if we will have another."

"All right." Lupin settled down as well. He pulled his wand briefly, tried a "Lumos" that didn't work, and sighed as he tucked it away. "I suppose the magic suppression was happened right at the time of the cave in," he said with a grimace. "I wouldn't be surprised if he had all those rocks held up with magic, with the anti-magic field charmed to go off as soon as we entered the area. Which would make the rocks fall, trapping us and taking away our magic at the same time."

"More reason not to rely on foolish wand-waving," Severus grumbled. He wished for a potent flesh-eating potion or a small vial of acid - something that would slow down the vampire and give them an edge - but he hadn't come prepared for that. 

"Good thing we don't have to," Lupin observed. He leaned his back against a tree, facing in the direction of the cave entrance so that he had a clear view of it. "If we were normal humans, no doubt we'd be dead by now; but then if we were normal humans we probably wouldn't have been put in this position to begin with."

"Precisely." Severus grimaced and shook his head. "We are valuable because of what we are, not who we are, and I doubt we will ever be allowed to forget it."

Lupin was silent for a few moments, but it was obvious that he was mulling over his words before speaking. "Tell me, have you ever thought of just going away?" he was finally, looking at Severus with a somber expression. "If you feel so used, what makes you stay? I have to stay because of Harry, but you dislike him intensely."

"I have to stay because I owe Dumbledore," Severus said flatly. "I made the worst mistake of my life, he helped me, and now he owns me until my debt is paid."

"Surely whatever you owe him, he can't demand your life as payment!" Lupin seemed upset, his eyes darkening and a frown line appearing between them. "He's going too far if he expects you to die for him just because he helped you!"

"I believe the concept of 'acceptable losses' applies." Severus shrugged slightly and looked away. He had known he was seen as little more than a tool by both powerful men he had once wanted to impress and be respected by as he had respected them, and he had come to terms with his situation. More or less. "He saved my life and taught me the skills I need to remain in the Dark Lord's presence without compromising myself. I needed protection, and he needed a spy, thus we came to an agreement. Once the Dark Lord is defeated, my job will be over, and I can do as I please."

"Your death is _not_ acceptable," Lupin ground out, a low growl in his tone. He drew in a deep breath, flexing his hands as he dropped his eyes. "I had always thought Albus was a good man, that he would do what was right. Now... now I'm not so sure if that's true. He doesn't seem to be able to look beyond the final result at what he's doing to the people who are trying to help him."

"He is doing what must be done. I can hardly fault him for that, although I do question why the old coot wasn't Sorted into Slytherin," Severus replied. "Ultimately he is a good man, if not a nice one at times. I am neither, which means I am not in the position to throw stones."

Lupin frowned, then sighed and dropped his head back against the tree. "I guess I'm just too soft, because I would find it a horrible burden to put people I care about in harm's way, no matter what the cause," he said, his voice low and pained. "It sucks that the Order has been left to fight this same war twice now because the Ministry has its head so far up its arse. But as far as Dumbledore being good... I don't know. I will grant that the Dark Lord is evil, but that doesn't make Dumbledore good simply because he opposes him. I'm not willing to concede that the ends justify the means, at least not yet. Not when Dumbledore keeps so much from Harry and from the rest of us as well."

"Shall we say he is ruthless in his quest to save the wizarding world from evil, then?" Severus glanced sidelong at Lupin, one eyebrow raised in surprise at Lupin's vehemence. "No doubt you feel yourself ill-used because he did not warn you about the curse before hiring you, but would you have taken the position if you had known? Think about what might have happened to Potter if you had not been there. Or what might have happened to your dear friend, Black.

"I would have taken it if he had told me," Lupin said immediately. "I would have done my best for Harry, just as I tried to do anyway. What I would _not_ have done was get my hopes up that at long last I'd found a place to belong. I might even have told Albus that Sirius was ananimagus , since I'd not have had as much of a need to protect myself. And more than that, I might have been prepared for you outing me, since I would have known that _something_ was going to cause me to have to leave. As to Sirius... he didn't try to contact me to tell me of what he was doing, so it's obvious he didn't care that I was there. He didn't even really care about Harry being there. All he cared about was his revenge - in that, he's rather frighteningly like Dumbledore, but at least he had the excuse of not being fully in his right mind."

A dozen responses crowded Severus' mind, but he didn't voice any of them, deciding to save his scathing commentary for later, when there was a chance it might do some good in needling Lupin with satisfactory results. In the end, he was spared trying to decide what to say by the sound of rustling in the distance, and he waved Lupin silent and leaned forward, listening intently.

Lupin's eyes widened, and he, too, moved silently so that he could get a better view of what was happening. Moments later, the vampire stepped out of the shadow of the woods and approached the ruined entrance of the cave, and he stopped to survey the scene with obvious satisfaction. He looked quite pleased with himself, which made Severus' lip curl in a silent snarl. Resisting the urge to lunge out and rip the smug bastard's head off, Severus looked at Lupin and mouthed, "On three", not wanting to risk the vampire's keen ears pick up the sound of their voices, and he held up one finger, then two, and finally three.

With a nod Lupin waited for the count, moving up to a crouch, muscles tensing as he readied himself. There was a fierce snarl on his lips as Severus held up the third finger, and he launched himself from the trees as though he were chased by demons, heading straight for the vampire.

The attack caught their quarry completely off guard; apparently he had convinced himself that they were no longer a danger, and thus he was unprepared for any retaliation. He half turned, eyes widening, as Lupin approached, but even with his preternatural speed it wasn't enough for him to avoid Lupin's quick, ferocious attack. Lupin seemed to hold nothing in reserve as he slammed into the vampire from the side, using his speed and strength to overbear him and tumble him to the ground. Momentum tumbled them both, and Lupin twisted, getting one arm around the vampire's neck and the other pinning the vampires arms behind him, so that Lupin was on his back, the vampire on top of him but facing away, completely unable to attack.

"Now!" he shouted, as the vampire tried to struggle in his grasp. "Hurry, Severus!"

Leaping out of his hiding place, Severus rushed forward and brandished his wand; with all his strength, he rammed his wand into the vampire's chest, impaling the creature with it, and shouted, "Incendio!" 

Animalistic shrieks tore out of the vampire's corded throat, and it thrashed wildly as its heart burned to ashes within its chest, and Severus watched with grim satisfaction as its death-throes weakened and finally ceased. He waited until the monster was still and withdrew his wand slowly, wiping off the charred remains of its heart on its coat, and then he poked it gingerly just to be certain it was dead - permanently. It didn't move, and Severus stepped back, satisfied that their task was complete - and they even had a corpse to take back as proof that it had been this creature masquerading as a Death Eater rather than a real threat from Voldemort. This time, at least.

Lupin released the vampires body, rolling it off of himself with a grimace of disgust and rising to his feet. He looked down at the corpse - a real corpse this time - with satisfaction, then glanced at Severus. "Good work," he said approvingly. "How did you manage the magic?"

"A clever assumption," Severus replied as he tucked his wand away. "I predicted he would dispel the anti-magic wards upon his arrival so that he would not be at a disadvantage in case his prey had some feeble resistance to offer or he needed it in order to clear the path to us."

"That's brilliant!" Lupin grinned at him, obviously delighted with the results. "Well, we did it - I think we worked well as a team, don't you?"

Severus was unaccustomed to working _with_ anyone, much less doling out compliments or praise, but even he had to admit their plan had worked. "We functioned reasonably well in tandem, I suppose," he said with a little shrug.

Lupin's smile faded, as though Severus' words had stung him. "Right," he murmured, turning away from Severus and drawing his wand. "I guess it wouldn't do to walk around with a dead body for all to see." With a flick of his wand he transfigured the vampire's coat into an enveloping shroud. "Should one of us go back to collect our things, and the other Apparate the body back to Hogwarts?"

Scowling, Severus braced his fists on his hips and glared at Lupin. "Not until you explain why you are behaving like someone swatted you with a rolled-up newspaper!"

"What?" Lupin blinked in surprise, then shrugged slightly. "I'm not. I just had to remind myself that we don't always view things the same way, that's all."

Bewildered, Severus stared at Lupin and shook his head. "What in Merlin's name are you talking about? I _agreed_ with you."

"I'm sorry, then," Lupin sighed. "I thought... well, it doesn't matter, really. We did it, and it worked, and the people of the village are safe. What should we do now?"

"Oh, I see." Severus drew himself up proudly and peered down his nose at Lupin. "I didn't shriek and jump up and down in unbridled excitement about what a brilliant team we make. Practically the new Holmes and Watson. So now yourickle feelings are hurt. Is that it?"

Lupin drew himself up stiffly. "It doesn't matter. We're done with the mission, and as soon as we report to Dumbledore you're free of me again. That's what you want, so why do you care how I feel about anything?"

"You're right," Severus growled as he stalked over and planted himself right in front of Lupin. "We're finished here, and you get to go back to your life, free of danger - free of _me_. I'm sure you can't wait! No doubt Black will be eager to commiserate with you over being stuck with greasy oldSnivellus . Tell me, Lupin, do you really intend to have a word with Dumbledore as you said you would, or is that spine you conveniently grow while I am around going to melt as soon as you get back to your real life?" 

There was a flash of something feral in Lupin's eyes, and he frowned. "No, my intention to talk to Dumbledore stands - unlike _yours_ not to provoke me. I thought maybe, just maybe, we'd managed to find some level of understanding after all this, but I guess I was wrong."

The glimpse of the wolf made heat explode in the pit of Severus' stomach, and his breathing quickened as he stepped even closer, punctuating his words with a poke of Lupin's chest, wanting to see if he could turn that flash into a conflagration. "Why shouldn't I provoke you when you turn into a boring, mopey rug when I stop?" he demanded.

The frown became a scowl, Lupin's face darkening as his eyes glowed with the temper of the wolf. He trembled, obviously fighting a war with his darker nature, and his jaw was clenched from the force of the struggle. He looked like someone on the verge of losing all control. Oh, yes, that was what Severus wanted to see. He wanted the wolf to come out and play with him, especially now that they could play as equals, and he wanted to goad Lupin into making the move he didn't dare make himself. 

"What, no calm smile? No kind response?" Severus poked him again for good measure. "Or don't you have the courage to try me now that you know I can hold my own?" 

There was no response for a moment, and then something in Lupin snapped. He growled, grasping Severus by the shoulders and pushing him until his back slammed into a large, sturdy tree. The wolf was there in his eyes, in the way he leaned forward like a predator scenting prey. He stared at Severus, then lowered his head, crushing his lips against Severus' in a kiss that was at once hard, demanding, and possessive.

Moaning, Severus parted his lips and answered Lupin's demand in equal measure, no longer holding back. Lupin wouldn't use him, not like _them_ ; he was safe, and the knowledge that he could let go fully for the first time in his life was heady indeed. Passion made his fangs descend and his nails turn into sharp claws once more, and he clutched Lupin's shoulders hard enough to make fabric rip as he met and matched the wolf's possessiveness. 

Lupin pulled back, staring at Severus intently. His eyes were drawn to the sight of Severus' fangs, and the tone of his growl changed. Somehow Severus could sense the anger changing to approval, although the heat in Lupin's gaze didn't change. Instead he pressed Severus against the tree and lowered his head again. Instead of claiming Severus' mouth again, however, he went for the side of Severus' neck, fastening his teeth into the flesh beneath Severus' ear, biting down hard enough to mark the skin.

A startled hiss escaped Severus, but he didn't hesitate to tip his chin up, shuddering at the feel of Lupin's teeth on his skin. There was no danger in letting Lupin bite him; he was already tainted by a Dark curse, and Lupin's lycanthropy couldn't affect him, no more than he could turn Lupin into a vampire, thus he could bite and be bitten as much as he desired - and he desired it immensely.

It seemed Lupin liked biting a great deal, for he continued, worrying Severus' skin, bruising it and drawing blood. Then he laved the bite mark with his tongue, the gesture possessive yet also strangely tender. Lifting his head again, Lupin met Severus' eyes. "Mine." It was a statement, not a question.

Severus' heart hammered in his chest at the declaration, and he knew acknowledging it meant acknowledging that he had been claimed a third time; his mind stuttered a panicked warning that he was making a mistake, but his instincts urged him to accept _this_ claim and recognize it as something that would give rather than take for once. Unable to voice the words, he tightened his fingers on Lupin's shoulders and nodded instead.

Apparently that was enough to satisfy the wolf, for he grinned in a predatory fashion and claimed Severus' lips again, kissing him deeply and hungrily. Lupin's hands moved from his shoulders to his waist, pulling Severus closer, leaving him in absolutely no doubt as to how aroused Lupin was. Groaning, Severus sagged against the tree and rocked his hips, wanting to goad Lupin again, although in an entirely different way this time. He bit down on Lupin's full bottom lip and sucked hard, darting his tongue out to lick blood from his lips when he pulled back at last, his dark eyes taking on a predatory glint at the taste.

Lupin hissed, a sound of pleasure as Severus bit him, and his growl grew louder. He rocked against Severus in return, breathing harder, and he pulled at Severus' shirt, unleashing the wolf's strength and tearing it from Severus' body as though it were tissue paper. Answering Lupin's growl with one of his own, Severus used his strength and his claws to rip away Lupin's shirt as well, and he raked his nails down the length of Lupin's back, scoring the pale skin.

A moan escaped Lupin, and he arched his back against Severus' hands, seeming to enjoy the pain. His own hands were on Severus' skin, smoothing over his abdomen, then rising higher. Lupin's fingers circled his nipples, the touch light and tormenting, before he rolled them between his fingers, teasing and tugging them to firm peaks. It felt good, but it wasn't what Severus wanted, and he snarled as he yanked at the fly of Lupin's jeans. He didn't want light, tender caresses; he wanted the power and passion of the wolf, and he would do whatever it took to get it. As he fumbled with the recalcitrant fastenings, he swooped in and bit down on the curve where neck met shoulder, wanting more than just a little taste now that he no longer had to hold back any of his desires - a luxury he had never had with a lover before.

There was a sharp tug at his nipples, and Lupin gasped, his head falling back as Severus bit him, offering better access. Lupin's hands moved lower, tugging at the fastening of Severus' trousers, then Lupin growled in annoyance at the complexity and simply ripped the fabric open, shoving the tattered remnants away. His hands were hard on Severus' hips, fingers bruising and nails biting into the flesh of his arse. Whatever his normally mild demeanor, Lupin's wolf apparently enjoyed roughness as much as Severus did.

His remaining clothes were nothing but an annoying impediment at this point, and Severus banished them with a growled spell. Mustering his strength, he shoved Lupin backward as hard as he could, and he moved away from the tree, smirking at Lupin and making a taunting little 'come and get me' gesture. If Lupin liked it rough-and-tumble too, Severus would be happy to oblige.

Apparently Lupin didn't like being pushed away, since he snarled in annoyance at being forced back. But Severus' taunt was answered with alacrity, as Lupin rushed him much as he had rushed the vampire, catching Severus by the waist and tumbling them both to the ground. Instead of rolling Severus to the top, however, he trapped Severus beneath him, grasping Severus' wrists and pinning them to the ground above his head. Lowering his head, he claimed Severus' lipsdemandingly, as he ground his hips down, thrusting against Severus roughly.

Severus struggled beneath Lupin even as he answered the kiss with demanding hunger of his own, using his strength to its fullest extent; he didn't want to escape, but he wasn't about to make Lupin's conquest an easy one, either, and the more he fought, the more he could feel Lupin's strength in return, which was even more arousing than the possessive kisses.

It seemed that Lupin wasn't about to be pushed away again, however, and he brought the full extent of his power to bear. He moved his hands, pinning both of Severus' with one of his in a grip that was harder than iron, raising his head to stare down at Severus with hungry possessiveness. His wand was in his other hand, and he quickly banished the remainder of his clothing, then dealt Severus' hip a stinging blow with it as he growled the preparatory spells. Tossing his wand aside, Lupin moved quickly between Severus' legs, using his free hand to raise Severus' hips as he drove forward, claiming Severus in one hard, deep thrust.

A ragged cry tore from Severus' throat at the burning, almost punishing invasion, and he bucked his hips up, covering his bid to drive Lupin deeper with a seeming attempt to dislodge him. He managed to worm one hand free of Lupin's grip and scored Lupin's chest and back with his claws as he scrabbled to hold on, baring his fangs as he stared up at the wolf in Lupin's eyes.

The wolf stared back, and Lupin growled down at him, baring his teeth in response to Severus' fangs. He moved his hand from Severus' hip to capture his free hand, pinning it once more above his head. Lupin's fingers dug into his wrists, and Lupin pressed forward before pulling back slightly, then surging forward more deeply still, as though he were going to split Severus in two. Severus cried out again, clenching andunclenching his fists helplessly as he rocked beneath Lupin, his entire body quivering with taut arousal; he didn't want to lose control, but he felt it slipping away, the dark sensuality he had kept tightly bottled bursting free and overwhelming him at last, turning him into a creature of pure need. 

The growling grew louder, and Lupin thrust faster, deeper, his face flushed and sweat slicking his entire body. Once again he trapped both of Severus' hands with one of his, then forced the free one between their bodies so that he could wrap his fingers around Severus' arousal. He stroked Severus roughly, in counterpoint to the pounding of his hips, as though he were trying to wring every last bit of passion from Severus and drive him wild.

When Severus let go this time, he didn't attempt to hide; even if he could have, he didn't want to, feeling strangely liberated despite being held down. There was nothing left to hide; Lupin had seen the worst and was here, shagging him senseless anyway, and Severus held nothing back, his howl of pleasure echoing through the trees as he came undone beneath Lupin.

Lupin continued to stroke him, still thrusting hard into his body, until Lupin suddenly threw his head back and cried out raggedly, his body going rigid as his own release claimed him. Then he shuddered, releasing Severus' wrists, breathing hard as he collapsed to one side in a boneless heap. Severus lay sprawled where he was until his breathing grew less ragged and his heart stopped pounding wildly; only then did he sit up, wincing, and summon his wand and his clothes. He glanced at Lupin, although he wasn't quite sure what to say. Their ability to communicate wasn't stellar, and he needed at least a short respite before being obliged to goad Lupin into shagging him to make a point again, thus he decided to keep his mouth shut - for once - and wait to see what Lupin had to say first.

Eyes closed, Lupin lay still for several moments, then he, too, sat up, picking up his wand and pulling together the shreds of his clothing. He repaired them, his voice low, then stood and dressed. When his clothing was in place, he turned to look at Severus, his expression neutral, and when he spoke his voice was flat.

"That is not happening again," he said quietly. "I'm tired of being used."

Severus' post-coital contentment deflated instantly, and he clutched his balled-up clothing tighter, shielding himself anew as he frowned up at Lupin. "What do you mean, used?" he demanded, feeling an all-too familiar sinking in the pit of his stomach. Had he just made a colossal mistake?

Lupin raised a brow. "You know what I mean. I want you, I think you know that, since I said it specifically when we were trapped," Lupin replied. "I think it's obvious you want me, too, or at least a part of me, but it's equally obvious that you neither like nor respect me." He held up a hand. "And before you start insulting me again, yes, I'm just stupid and soppy and Gryffindor enough to want a lover who has some regard for me, Remus the man, rather than just wanting the wolf. You can't have one without the other. So if you think I'm a mopey rug, fine. But no sex, no matter how good, is worth being made to feel as though I'm nothing but a failure in your eyes when I'm not losing my temper and giving you what you want."

"You really don't understand anything, least of all me, as well as you think you do," Severus snapped, goaded by a flare of temper to perform a cleaning spell, banishing all evidence of what had transpired, before setting about mending his clothes and hurriedly pulling them on. "You aren't a mopey rug. You're an idiot who can't see past the so-called 'obvious'." He tipped his chin up proudly. "Must I spell it out? Things have changed, even if you can't tell it."

Lupin blinked in surprise. "You said you don't hate me," he said slowly, then sighed. "Then you insult me and provoke me to in order to raise the wolf, after saying you didn't want to be shackled to it." He crossed his arms over his chest. "So from this I'm supposed to somehow deduce that you want me? You're right, I _am_ an idiot. Either that or I missed some required classes in translating Snape into English. Sorry, Severus, I'm not a mind reader like _you_ are. Up until we went on this mission I never had any reason but to think that what you say is nothing but _exactly_ what you mean."

A low noise of frustration escaped Severus as he rolled to his feet and faced Lupin, mirroring his stance. He was far out of his depth in this situation and felt as if he was beginning to flounder, but either he dealt with this head-on or he turned tail and ran - and he was _not_ a coward. "Since when is a Slytherin ever so forthright?" he retorted. "No, I don't hate you, and the reason I provoked you was to _show_ you I had changed my mind about being... connected to you. I thought it would be more effective than trying to _say_ so, but apparently not." He sniffed haughtily. "But if I must spell it out in words, then I will. I have changed my mind about a number of things where you are concerned."

"Oh." Lupin looked at him for a moment, then drew in a deep breath, seeming to gather himself before taking a small, hesitant step toward Severus. "If that means what I think it means... what I hope it means... then..." he took another step, and reached out with a hand to touch Severus on the arm. "I'm glad. Very glad." A small smile curved his lips. "Perhaps you can give me those lessons in translating Snape. I promise to be a most attentive pupil."

"At your remedial level, it will take a very long time," Severus replied, although the tartness of his tone was belied by his relaxing of his defensive posture and taking one small step closer as well.

"If you're willing to expend the effort, so am I," Lupin said. He raised his other hand, sliding them both to Severus' shoulders. "At least the wolf seems to understand you, so I hope that the compensation will be worth any frustration you might feel at the pace of my progress."

"I imagine it will be," Severus replied, unable to repress a pleasurable little shiver as he thought about the passion of only a few minutes before. Lupin must have felt the shiver, for his smile became slightly feral, and there was a gleam in his eyes that wasn't entirely human.

"I - we - will do our best to make it up to you," Lupin said, a husky, almost-growling undercurrent to his voice. Leaning closer, Lupin put his lips close to Severus' ear. "And lest you think that I'm too agreeable, I reserve the right to teach you a lesson or two when I think it's necessary. Not that I think you're going to mind it, any more than I mind seeing those sexy fangs. I wish I'd known about them a long time ago; I might have had a much harder time keeping my eyes, and hands, and other parts off of you."

After spending his entire life hiding the evidence of what he truly was for fear of being reviled, hearing someone find that same evidence desirable was difficult to process, but it seemed Severus had found the acceptance he had craved at last. He wasn't about to voice such maudlin thoughts aloud,however, and he gave Lupin an arch look instead. "I am quite certain I will need lessons."

"I look forward to giving them." Lupin nipped Severus' ear, then drew back. "Well, since we seem to have finally figured out our little mystery - oh, and found and killed the vampire, too - I suppose we should head back and report to Dumbledore. Then maybe you can give me a lesson, or two... if you're up to it. Or we could play 'You show me yours and I'll show you mine.' I am looking forward to you teaching me all about what you can do... and seeing ifDhampir have better stamina than werewolves or not."

"Agreed," Severus replied with alacrity.

No doubt Dumbledore would be less than pleased that they hadn't found evidence of Death Eater activity he could show to the Ministry, but they had rid this corner of the world of a deadly menace and had forged an unexpected alliance of their own. For Severus, that was more than enough reason to consider the mission a success. It wasn't going to be easy with Lupin. Remus. Severus wasn't an easy man under the best of circumstances, and in the middle of a war wasn't the best of circumstances, but for this... for _them_ , he was willing to try.


End file.
